Angela Merkel, the German chancellor desperately working to reach a diplomatic accord ending unrest in eastern Ukraine, continued her efforts at the White House Monday, urging President Obama to forestall sending lethal aid to Kiev.
It was the latest bid in Merkel’s shuttle diplomacy, which has taken the East Germany-born chancellor from Kiev to Moscow to the White House in just a matter of days. She’s headed to Belarus for more talks on Ukraine on Wednesday.
Obama and Merkel hope to display a united front against Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose government has backed separatists in Eastern Ukraine. Tough economic sanctions levied both by the United States and Europe have severely degraded Russia’s economy, but until now haven’t stopped Putin from his territorial campaign.
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Obama, who released a National Security Strategy last week with a heavy emphasis on diplomacy, has held similar views, saying the crisis in Ukraine won’t end militarily.
But so far diplomacy has produced few results. A September agreement calling for drawback of heavy arms and a buffer zone disintegrated shortly after it was signed. Subsequent calls to adhere to the plan were ignored.
