Mattis reviewing lethal aid for Ukraine

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Thursday he and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson are "actively reviewing" supplying Ukraine with lethal military aid.

"I will go back now having seen the current situation and be able to inform the secretary of state and the president in very specific terms what I recommend for the direction ahead," Mattis, flanked by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, told reporters in Kiev, according to a Pentagon transcript.

Mattis, whose visit coincided with Ukrainian Independence Day, also downplayed concerns that supplying Ukraine with lethal defensive weapons like anti-tank Javelin missiles and anti-aircraft systems would worsen tensions with Russia.

"Defensive weapons are not provocative unless you're an aggressor, and clearly, Ukraine is not an aggressor, since it's their own territory where the fighting is happening," he said.

Mattis noted the United States has provided Ukraine with $750 million in non-lethal assistance since 2015, following Russia's annexation of Crimea.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) released a statement Wednesday urging the Trump administration to provide lethal aid to Ukraine.

"Secretary Mattis' visit to Kiev provides yet another opportunity for the United States to correct its policy toward Ukraine and provide the lethal defensive assistance the country needs to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity," McCain said. "Earlier this week, President Trump took a step forward when he changed course and departed from his predecessor's failed policy in Afghanistan. The president now has the same opportunity with regard to Ukraine."