MUNICH, Feb. 8 -- The ongoing 51th Munich Security Conference has thrown a spotlight on the fact that the United States and its European allies are at odds over whether to send arms to Ukraine.

Speaking at the gathering of high-level security officials and experts, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday that sending arms to Ukraine would not help solve the crisis there.

The remarks sent a clear message that in this regard Europe is not on the same page with the United States, which is mulling providing weapons for Ukrainian government troops.

While admitting it was uncertain whether the Franco-German peace plan presented to Moscow and Kiev this week would succeed, Merkel is resolute that sending arms to Kiev is not an option.

"I understand the debate but I believe that more weapons will not lead to the progress Ukraine needs. I really doubt that," said the German leader, who had just returned from a trip to Russia together with French President Francois Hollande in a bid to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine.

To illustrate her point, Merkel even mentioned her childhood experience of observing the construction of the Berlin Wall, saying that no one then had thought of using force to stop the project and the final fall of the barrier was not a result of military means either.

Speaking at the same conference, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, though stopping short of specifying possible U.S. moves in providing arms for Kiev, said the U.S. government was ready to provide support for Ukraine so that the country can defend itself.

The United States has so far provided Ukraine with non-lethal military equipment such as armored vests and helmets.

In a clear attempt to mend the rift between his country and its European allies, Biden stressed that he and President Barack Obama agreed that no efforts should be spared to resolve the conflict peacefully.

Merkel will fly to Washington to meet Obama on Sunday and the Ukraine crisis is expected to be high on their agenda.

Amid heated debate at the forum about whether it is worth the risk to provide arms for Ukraine, the country's president, Petro Poroshenko, used the occasion to call for "defensive weapons" from abroad.

Speaking at a panel discussion, Poroshenko said his government stood ready for a "comprehensive and immediate ceasefire" that was urgently needed in Ukraine.

Stressing that Kiev has a right to defend its people, he called for political, economic and military support from abroad, but emphasized that his government only wanted "defensive weaponry."

"Over the course of the conflict, we have proven to be responsible that we will not use the defensive equipment for attacks," he said.

Meanwhile, senior officials from Russia, another key party in resolving the Ukraine crisis, said at the forum that the crisis could not be solved via military means and dialogue over the issue will continue and "is quite likely to achieve results."

While expounding Russia's stance over the issue and explaining the historical and ethnic elements behind the crisis, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also slammed the West for "blaming everything on Russia."

It is the United States and its allies that have made moves to escalate the situation in Ukraine, Lavrov said.