WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's pick to become defence secretary told Congress on Wednesday he was leaning in favour of providing arms to Ukraine but later cautioned that the focus must remain on pressuring Russia economically and politically.
Ashton Carter, a former Pentagon No. 2, told the Senate Armed Services Committee he would "very much incline" towards supplying defensive arms to Ukraine, adding the United States needed to support the country's efforts to defend itself against Russian-backed separatists.