'You can't win the war with blankets': Ukrainian leader pleads for more US military aid as he addresses Congress
- Obama's administration pledged $53million in fresh aid to Ukraine
- Petro Poroshenko appealed for lethal and non-lethal military aid
- Ukraine also wants more sanctions and a special security status
- President
- Poroshenko later met with President Obama in the Oval Office for bilateral talks
President Obama sat down to talks with Ukraine's Petro Poroshenko in the White House Thursday, making a pledge to continue mobilizing the international community to reach a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine.
Obama, however, stopped short of offering his Eastern European counterpart lethal military aid he had been asking for.
President Poroshenko, who met with Obama in the Oval Office, said he hoped the ceasefire in his country would lead to a broader peace.
He told reporters later that he was satisfied with the assistance that Washington was providing to Ukraine.
Scroll down for videos
Side by side: President Obama sat down to talks with Ukraine's Petro Poroshenko in the White House to discuss the ongoing crisis with Russia
Pleased: Poroshenko later told reporters he was satisfied with the outcome of his meeting with the president
The two world leaders met in the Oval Office, sitting side by side in an apparent show of support for the Ukraine against Moscow.
Obama praised Poroshenko's leadership, describing it as 'critical, at a very, very important time in Ukraine's history.'
‘Unfortunately, what we have also seen is Russian aggression, first in Crimea and most recently in portions of eastern Ukraine,’ he added.
Mr Obama also hit out at Russia for violating Ukraine's sovereignty and accused Vladimir Putin's government of trying to undermine Poroshenko's reforms, reported AFP via Yahoo News.
At the conclusion of the bilateral talks, Mr Poroshenko spoke to reporters outside the West Wing but would not say whether he had asked Obama to send the Ukrainian forces weapons to fight against insurgents.
'I asked the president to increase the cooperation in security and defense and I received a positive answer,' he said.
Glowing praise: President Obama applauded Poroshenko for his leadership and his reform efforts
Putting on a show: Obama and Poroshenko sat side by side in the Oval Office, presenting a united front
Earlier in the day, Poroshenko appealed to the U.S. Congress for a broad spectrum of military aid, more sanctions and a special security status.
Poroshenko was on a visit to Washington DC to bolster US support for his strategy in handling Russian-backed separatists.
'I strongly encourage the United States to give Ukraine a special security and defense status which reflects the highest level of interaction with non-NATO allies,' Poroshenko said in an emotional speech to the House of Representatives and Senate.
He was interrupted frequently by applause and standing ovations.
Poroshenko asked for more aid for Ukraine's military, going beyond equipment such as night-vision goggles that Washington has already sent.
'They need more political support throughout the world. They need more military equipment, both lethal and non-lethal,' he said.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (front) was joined by Speaker of the House John Boehner (right) and Vice President Joe Biden (left) for a joint meeting of Congress in Washington today
'Blankets, night-vision goggles are also important, but one cannot win the war with blankets,' he said.
Poroshenko also pushed for more sanctions against Russia for its seizure of Crimea from Ukraine and backing of the separatist movement.
'I also asked that the United States be forceful and reflect its principles with the respect of further sanctions against the aggressor,' Poroshenko said.
As Poroshenko visited the U.S. Capitol, President Barack Obama's administration pledged $53 million in fresh aid to Ukraine for its struggle against Russia's incursion, including counter-mortar radar equipment.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko was welcomed by U.S. lawmakers as he arrives to address a joint meeting of Congress today
Most watched News videos
- New video shows Epstein laughing and chasing young women
- British Airways passengers turn flight into a church service
- Epstein describes himself as a 'tier one' sexual predator
- Skier dressed as Chewbacca brutally beaten in mass brawl
- Two schoolboys plummet out the window of a moving bus
- Buddhist monks in Thailand caught with a stash of porn
- Melinda Gates says Bill Gates must answer questions about Epstein
- Police dog catches bag thief who pushed woman to the floor
- Sarah Ferguson 'took Princesses' to see Epstein after prison
- Holly Valance is shut down by GB News for using slur
- JD Vance turns up heat on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
- China unveils 'Star Wars' warship that can deploy unmanned jets
