Obama, Merkel still giving diplomacy with Russia chance

The US is still weighing its options on whether it should arm the Ukrainian military against Russian-backed forces in eastern Ukraine, President Barack Obama told reporters on Monday.
But added that his preference remains to find a diplomatic solution by imposing more sanctions against the Kremlin if he needs to.
"The international community, working together, can ratchet up the costs for the violation of the core principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity, and that's exactly what we've done," Obama said in remarks at the White House alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
"Russia has paid a significant cost for its actions first in Crimea, and now in Eastern Ukraine," he added, but sanctions have "not yet dissuaded (Russian President) Mr. (Vladimir) Putin from following the course that he is on." However, "it has created a measurable negative impact on the Russian economy. And that will continue," Obama said. "My hope is that through these diplomatic efforts, those costs have become high enough that Mr. Putin's preferred option is for a diplomatic resolution." But if diplomacy fails, he said, his Administration is looking into the provision of "lethal defensive weapons" to Ukraine.
"I've consulted with not just Angela but will be consulting with other allies about this issue," the president noted. "It's not based on the idea that Ukraine could defeat a Russian army that was determined. It is rather to see whether or not there are additional things we can do to help Ukraine bolster its defenses in the face of separatist aggression." But he stressed that "no decision has been made" so far on arming the Ukrainians.
For her part, Merkel, who spoke through a translator, said she is "absolutely confident that we will do this together," referring to US and German cooperation on giving diplomacy a chance.
"I myself actually would not be able to live with not having made this attempt," she said, adding the European Union is already looking at further sanctions on Russia to ramp up the pressure. "If we give up this principle of territorial integrity of countries, then we will not be able to maintain the peaceful order of Europe that we've been able to achieve. This not just any old point: it's an essential, a crucial point, and we have to stand by it." "I've always said I don't see a military solution to this conflict," she said.
But looking ahead to this week's discussions between Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany, which will be held in Minsk, Merkel said various options have to be on the table.
"I cannot give you a guarantee for the outcome of the Wednesday talks or further talks, and maybe nothing will come out of it, but then we're called upon again to think about a new possibility," she said.
"We are not looking for Russia to fail," emphasized the US president. "We are not looking for Russia to be surrounded and contained and weakened. Our preference is for a strong, prosperous, vibrant, confident Russia that can be a partner with us on a whole host of global challenges.
"Unfortunately, Russia has made a decision that I think is bad for them strategically, and bad for Europe, and bad for the world," he continued. "And you know, in the face of this aggression and these bad decisions... we can't simply try to talk them out of it. We have to show them that the world is unified in imposing a cost for this aggression." Obama and Merkel held a closed-door bilateral meeting prior to their joint press conference, after which they headed off to a "working lunch," along with Vice President Joe Biden, the White House affirmed in a statement.