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A Ukrainian serviceman rests near Debaltseve, eastern Ukraine, February 8, 2015. The leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France agreed to meet in Belarus on Wednesday to try to broker a peace deal for Ukraine amid escalating violence there and signs of cracks in the transatlantic consensus on confronting Vladimir Putin. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

There is an apparent split among Western countries about sending weapons to Ukraine. While some U.S. officials are considering sending weapons to the Ukrainian military, some European leaders disagree.

U.S. Sen. John McCain said Sunday that, even though it was “truism” that there was no military solution in Ukraine, nobody should believe that there was no military dimension to the problem. He insisted that hard power can play a role in a favourable solution. McCain added that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not want a diplomatic solution. Putin wants to dominate Ukraine as well as Russia's other neighbours, he said.

However, some European leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel believe that Ukraine should not have more weapons to solve its problems. "The progress that Ukraine needs cannot be achieved with more weapons," CNN quotes Merkel, "I have grave doubts about the validity of this point." Merkel said that Russia might introduce its air force into the battle if Ukraine was provided lethal aid.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, on the other hand, dismissed any disagreement between Europe and the U.S. in their diplomatic measures. He said on Sunday that there was “no division” and “no split.” Kerry said at the Munich Security Conference in Germany that the border should not be changed by force. He apparently agreed with Merkel that there was no military solution to the Ukraine crisis. He, nevertheless, indicated that Russia would have to pay for it if the peace situation took longer to take place.

Meanwhile, presidents of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine are expected to meet in Belarus on Wednesday. They have been talking either on the phone or through diplomatic channels for days now. According to reports, all four leaders have agreed to attend the meeting. Putin, however, indicated to Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko that the Wednesday meeting might be uncertain.

While there are more reports of civilian casualties in Ukraine, Russia Today refers to the German intelligence service’s estimation that the number of casualties, as given by Ukrainian authorities, is not correct. The German intelligence apparently believes that the actual number of people killed in the Ukrainian civil war is 10 times higher than what Kiev authorities reported.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@IBTimes.com.au