KIEV, Feb. 4 – The U.S. government should provide Ukraine $3 billion in nonlethal and defensive lethal military assistance over the next three years so that Russia finally choose a political solution to the ongoing military conflict with Ukraine, reads a joint report from the Atlantic Council, Brookings Institution, and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

"That requires providing direct military assistance – in far larger amounts than provided to date and including lethal defensive arms – so that Ukraine is better able to defend itself. The U.S. government should provide Ukraine $1 billion in military assistance as soon as possible in 2015, followed by additional tranches of 1$ billion in FY 2016 and FY 2017," reads the report.