Kiev Asks U.S. for Special Security Status on Eve of New Ukraine Talks

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A new round of talks aimed at finding a lasting solution to the Ukraine crisis will take place in Belarus on Friday, the ex-Soviet country's foreign ministry said.

"We confirm that such a meeting will happen" in the Belorussian capital Minsk, a foreign ministry spokesman told Agence France-Presse.

He declined to provide a precise time for the meeting of the so-called Contact Group that includes representatives of Russia, Ukraine, separatists and the OSCE.

The announcement came as Ukraine accused Moscow of massing some 4,000 troops on the border of Russian-annexed Crimea and Ukraine.

Andrei Purgin, deputy prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, will take part in the talks, his spokespeople said.

The new talks come after Ukraine and pro-Moscow separatists agreed a ceasefire on September 5 as part of a 12-point roadmap to resolving five months of brutal conflict.

The truce has been shaken by sporadic fighting but has largely held. 

At the September 5 talks Russia was represented by Moscow's ambassador to Ukraine, Mikhail Zurabov, Ukraine by ex-president Leonid Kuchma and the OSCE by envoy Heidi Tagliavini.

The separatists were represented by leaders from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic, including rebel prime minister Alexander Zakharchenko.

Later on Thursday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called for greater political and military support from Washington and tighter sanctions on Russia as he told U.S. lawmakers that Kremlin aggression represented a threat to global security.

Speaking to a joint meeting of the US Congress, Poroshenko spoke of the threats posed by proxy wars, terrorism and extremist movements, warning: "If they are not stopped now, they will cross European borders and spread throughout the globe."

Poroshenko was in Washington to meet President Barack Obama at the White House, but he first took his message of defiance and freedom to Congress, where he received several standing ovations for seeking U.S. support and pledging to stand up to Kremlin-backed aggression.

He called Russia's annexation of Crimea "one of the most cynical acts of treachery in modern history," plunging Europe into its worst security crisis in decades.

"What we got from Russia was annexation and a war that has brought Ukraine to the brink," he said, pledging that "there is no way, at no price," that Kiev will accept Russia's occupation of Crimea.

While hailing the "special bond" between Ukraine and the United States, Poroshenko pleaded with Washington to provide his country with a special, non-NATO security status to help beef up its defenses.

"Given today's situation, Ukraine's democracy will have to rely on a strong army," Poroshenko said. "With this in mind, I strongly encourage the United States to give Ukraine special, non-allied partner status."

He also encouraged greater political support, tougher sanctions on Moscow and increased military aid.

"Blankets and night-vision goggles are important," he said. "But one can not win a war with blankets."

The leader portrayed Europe's -- and the world's -- next steps as a "choice between civilization and barbarism." 

And while he warned of the potential for a new Cold War, he insisted there was a genuine chance for peace in the near term.

"I am convinced that the people of Ukraine and the people of Russia have enough goodwill to give peace one last chance and prevail against the spirit of hate," he said.

"Despite the insanity of this war, I am convinced that peace can be achieved -- sooner rather than later."

Meanwhile, officials said Obama will offer Ukraine a package worth $46 million in security aid, as he welcomed Poroshenko to the White House.

The assistance will include financing for military and border guards, and will come on top of $70 million in U.S. security aid previously announced during Kiev's showdown with the Kremlin over Crimea and regions in eastern Ukraine.

But Poroshenko will not secure U.S. support to grant his country status as a non-NATO member ally, as it confronts what Washington said are "brazen" incursions onto its territory by Russian forces.

A senior U.S. official said that because of its existing ties to the western alliance, including in the NATO-Ukraine commission, Kiev already enjoyed the benefits it would get from non-NATO ally status, including security help, advice, training and joint exercises.

The Obama administration will also not heed calls from Congress to send arms to bolster Ukraine's armed forces, reasoning that such a step would not tangibly alter the dynamics of power between Kiev and Moscow.

"The kinds of weaponry that are being discussed would not have a decisive effect," the official said.

"There is no sense that there is an effective military hedge that could be given that would change the overall balance," he said.

In addition to the security assistance, Obama also will tell Poroshenko that he will direct $7 million to be funneled through international organizations in humanitarian aid to those affected by fighting in eastern Ukraine.

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