WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States welcomed Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko yesterday on a visit ringing with symbolism, which nevertheless underlined the limits of Western support for Kiev in its showdown with Russia.

Poroshenko sat side-by-side with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office and drew multiple standing ovations from lawmakers in a ceremonial joint meeting of both chambers of Congress.

But his appeal for NATO to grant Ukraine non-member ally status to help bolster its defenses appeared to make little headway, despite his warning that non-lethal aid like “blankets” can’t win wars.

The visit came at a potentially pivotal point in the showdown between Russia and Ukraine, which has drawn the United States into its worst confrontation with the Kremlin since the end of the Cold War.

New talks between Ukraine, separatists, Russia and the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe will take place today in Minsk, according to a Belarusian official.

But, reflecting the tense atmosphere, the Ukrainian Government accused Moscow of massing 4,000 troops on border of Ukraine and annexed Crimea.

The White House had said that the mere image of Obama and Poroshenko sitting side-by-side would “be worth at least a thousand words, both in English and in Russian”.

Obama praised Poroshenko for providing “critical” leadership at a “very, very important time in Ukraine’s history” and endorsed his “difficult” decision to pass laws offering self-rule to some eastern districts of Ukraine to appease separatists.

And he called for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory, the closure of the Russian border to other troops and ammunition, and the release of Ukrainian “hostages”.

A senior US official said Washington would offer Ukraine another $46 million in non-lethal aid, mainly for border and military guards.