U.S. General Breedlove to hold talks in Ukraine on Wednesday
By Adrian Croft BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A top U.S. military commander, General Philip Breedlove, will visit Ukraine on Wednesday for talks with senior political and military leaders, a spokesman said. Breedlove, who is head of U.S. European Command as well as NATO's top military commander, will be visiting Kiev in his U.S. capacity, the spokesman said. "He is scheduled to meet with senior political and military leaders ... to discuss the security situation in eastern Ukraine, support from the U.S. and reforms planned in the defence sector," he said. The U.S. support under discussion would be limited to non-lethal aid, such as body armour and night vision devices, already pledged by the United States and does not include weapons, a military source said. Moscow, accused by NATO of fomenting a rebellion by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, strongly opposes the Western military alliance's expansion and says Ukraine's neutral status is key for its security. A senior Russian official said on Tuesday an announcement by Ukraine's president that he would hold a referendum on NATO membership in several years' time would increase regional tensions. (Reporting by Adrian Croft; editing by Foo Yun Chee)
