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Laurence Norman Feb. 9, 2015 BRUSSELS—Sending defensive weapons to Ukraine is a “logical step,” Lithuania’s Foreign Minister, Linas Linkevicius, said Monday, breaking ranks with most of his European colleagues. Asked about the debate in the U.S. on whether to send defensive weapons to Ukraine’s armed forces, Mr. Linkevicius said “who am I to support or not.” “It is a decision of the U.S. but I would say it is a logical move,” he said. Lithuania has long been one of the most hard-line governments on the Ukraine crisis and Russia’s role in it. Over the weekend, the German, French and other governments came out against the idea of sending weapons to Ukraine, saying it could worsen the situation on the ground and provoke Russia. Sweden’s foreign minister backed that stance on Monday. Mr. Linkevicius said the west’s actions need to be guided by the reality on the ground. He warned that the handshakes and “family photos” of diplomacy over Ukraine “can’t last forever.” “Ukrainians are defending (against) external aggression. The other side…are already delivering weapons—sophisticated and heavy weapons,” he said. “It is cynical but it is going on during the time of negotiations sometimes.” Some diplomats have suggested Lithuania is already providing military hardware to Ukraine, although the Lithuanian government hasn’t confirmed that. Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to discuss the issue of weapons deliveries in Washington on Monday when she meets President Barack Obama to discuss the Franco-German peace initiative for Ukraine. Mr. Obama hasn’t yet commented publicly on the weapons issue. Earlier Monday, the European Union’s head of enlargement negotiations, Johannes Hahn, said he saw positive signs in the peace initiative in Ukraine. “I hope there might be a breakthrough on Wednesday,” he said. “The signals on all sides are quite promising. Of course there is a long way to go.” Mr. Hahn also said Ukraine’s economic and currency problems were “worsening” and that the recovery of the country was “absolutely necessary.” The bloc hopes to organize an investment conference for Ukraine in April, he said, but that still depends on the Kiev government presenting a detailed economic strategy plan. “I hope during February the government can keep its promise—that it will come forward with a very concrete reform proposal which is the baseline for an investors conference—I hope in the course of April,” he said. Mr. Hahn has repeatedly said he won’t set a date for the conference, which could gather western investors and possibly donors, until Kiev sets out its medium term economic plans.