Heritage Foundation think tank: It is time for the U.S. to provide weapons to Ukraine

The influential U.S. think tank Heritage Foundation, dubbed by a number of observers and media outlets as the Donald Trump administration think tank, has released a report urging to provide Ukraine with weapons.

"In the coming weeks, President Trump will decide whether to approve the sale of U.S. weapons, including advanced anti-tank weapons, to Ukraine. Russia invaded Ukraine. Russia illegally occupies Crimea. Russia provoked and now supports a separatist movement in eastern Ukraine. Russia is the aggressor and Ukraine is the victim. Every country has the right to self-defense," the report reads.

Apart from the arms deliveries to Ukraine, the analysts also suggest that U.S. trainers and mentors should be able to operate across the whole country.

"The people of Ukraine have shown a commitment to the transatlantic community, and the U.S. should provide advanced weapons and other tactical enablers, such as secure communications, to the Ukrainians. Doing so should not be viewed as a silver bullet in solving the crisis and ending Russian aggression. While the future success of Ukraine will rest in large part on the shoulders of Ukrainians themselves, U.S. leadership is essential for counteracting Russian aggression and supporting reform," the Heritage Foundation experts believe.

The author of the report is Luke Coffey, the director of the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy at the Heritage Foundation.

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