The United States should ‘seriously consider’ providing Ukraine with lethal weapons and putting US air strike controllers near combat areas in Iraq, said General Mark Milley (who is nominated to be the next US Army chief of staff) on Wednesday. He agrees with Marine Corps Commandant Joe Dunford that Russia poses the greatest threat to the United States because of its large nuclear arsenal and its ‘very, very aggressive’ behaviour. Milley said, ‘I would be in favour of providing Kiev with lethal defensive equipment.’ The United States has resisted equipping Ukraine with lethal weapons due to concerns about escalating the conflict, but Milley's statement is a sign that the Pentagon may now be considering it. On Wednesday the Ukrainian President appointed a new head of Luhansk ‘military-civil administration’ and Russia said it is working on developing a heavy intercontinental ballistic missile, with surface-to-air tests starting in 18 to 24 months. See also: http://www.worthynews.com/20930-russia-us-political-crisis-may-intensify-further-with-kremlin-testing-new-heavy-intercontinental-missile-in-two-years