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President Obama made it clear Monday he is not ready to provide lethal weaponry to Ukraine 鈥� and in so doing he recommitted to the 鈥渄iplomacy as long as it has a chance鈥� foundation of his national security policy.

At a White House press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel before the two leaders sat down to lunch, Mr. Obama said he has 鈥渘ot made a decision yet鈥� on providing antitank missiles and other 鈥渄efensive鈥� weapons to Ukraine to help it repel what he called 鈥�Russia鈥檚 aggression鈥� in the eastern part of the country.

By indicating he will wait on making a decision at least until results emerge from a summit set for Wednesday among European leaders, Ukrainian representatives, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Obama backed Ms. Merkel and her position that diplomacy deserves one last chance to resolve Europe鈥檚 most threatening conflict since the end of the cold war.

Merkel defended the need for 鈥渙ne further attempt to make progress through diplomatic means,鈥� adding, 鈥淚 would not be able to live with not having made this attempt.鈥�

In backing her 鈥� apparently against the advice of some of his own aides and clearly in opposition to some vocal congressional proponents of arming Ukraine 鈥� Obama is placing a priority on maintaining the transatlantic Western alliance that he says lies at the foundation of US foreign policy. 鈥淚f diplomacy fails this week, there鈥檚 going to be a strong unified response from鈥� the United States and Europe, he said.

Obama also indicated that part of his reluctance to send arms into Ukraine stems from his desire not to completely write off Russia as a partner in some of the broad international issues that he aims to address in the last two years of his presidency 鈥� from nonproliferation and preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon to cybersecurity and climate change.

In that sense, Obama鈥檚 caution on Ukraine can be seen in light of the new national security strategy the White House unveiled Friday. As part of that strategy, the president eschews an over-attention to what National Security Adviser Susan Rice calls the 鈥渃rises of the day鈥� 鈥� which Obama believes would distract the US from addressing the broader issues of the 21st century.

At the press conference Monday, Obama emphasized that while Western powers have placed 鈥渃ostly鈥� sanctions on Russia in an effort to dissuade it from 鈥渆ven more bad decisions,鈥� the point is not to weaken Russia or see it fail.

鈥淲e want a strong, prosperous, confident Russia that can be a partner with us on a whole host of global challenges,鈥� Obama said. He even tipped his cap to Moscow at one point, saying the Russians鈥� cooperation in international negotiations to limit Iran鈥檚 nuclear program 鈥渋s an area where they鈥檝e served a constructive role.鈥�

That kind of reasoning dismays some congressional leaders and foreign policy experts who say the days of pursuing any kind of common ground with Mr. Putin have long passed. European leaders cannot be counted on to stand up to Putin, they say, without a firm determination from Washington to confront Russia鈥檚 violations of Ukrainian sovereignty.

Sen. John McCain (R) of Arizona dismissed Merkel鈥檚 diplomatic overtures to Putin over the weekend as 鈥渇oolishness鈥� and compared Merkel鈥檚 and French President Fran莽ois Hollande鈥檚 diplomatic mission to the Kremlin Friday to European powers鈥� appeasement of Nazi Germany before World War II.

Nile Gardiner, director of the Heritage Foundation鈥檚 Thatcher Center in Washington, says it鈥檚 time for Obama to acknowledge that the 鈥渞eset鈥� with Russia 鈥渉as long been ... dead.鈥� The US should instead act to further 鈥渕arginalize鈥� Russia, he adds, by slapping sanctions on more Russian officials, reducing Europe鈥檚 energy dependence on Russia, and withdrawing from the New START Treaty that Obama concluded with Russia in 2011, reducing both countries鈥� nuclear weapons and launchers.

Others say that by putting off a decision on sending defensive weapons to Ukraine, Obama is showing not just his preference for diplomacy, but his reluctance to burn all bridges with Moscow.

鈥淵ou can almost feel that Obama is avoiding an action that once and for all would repudiate the reset,鈥� says Nikolas Gvosdev, a professor of national security studies and Russia expert at the US Naval War College in Newport, R.I.

"There are other areas where [Obama] wants to build a legacy, including Iran, that are going to be a lot more difficult without Russia on board,鈥� Dr. Gvosdev says. 鈥淭his [arming of Ukraine] is going to end US-Russia cooperation in other areas.鈥�