WASHINGTON — The president of Ukraine came to Washington Thursday seeking special ally status and lethal aid to fight the Russians. He walked away with neither but declared he was happy to get what he did get, new non-lethal aid.

“I’m getting everything possible,” Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko told reporters outside the White House after he met with President Obama. He added that he had asked Obama to “increase the cooperation” in security and defense and “received a positive answer.”

Poroshenko earlier told a joint session of Congress that failing to stop Russian President Vladimir Putin could put all of Europe at risk.

He pledged to stand as a bulwark against an aggressive Russia and thanked the U.S. for its assistance.

He stressed that he wants more weaponry, warning that his “underequipped” army of “young boys” is the only defense against Russian aggression.

The White House has resisted escalating the conflict with Russia by providing arms, calling instead for the crisis to be resolved diplomatically.


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