Mattis vows support for Ukraine but stops short of promising weapons
WASHINGTON _ Defense Secretary James N. Mattis condemned Russia's attempts to "redraw international borders by force" and pledged support for Ukraine on Thursday but stopped short of promising U.S. weapons for Ukraine's fight against pro-Russian separatists.
Mattis is the first Pentagon chief in a decade to visit Ukraine, which has been on the front lines of Russian aggression since Moscow's annexed Crimea in 2014 and began supporting armed insurgents in eastern Ukraine.
Deliberations in the Trump administration have heated up in recent months over whether to provide lethal defensive weapons, such as Javelin anti-tank missiles, to Ukrainian forces that are battling the separatist insurgency.
The debate has been awkward for President Donald Trump, who continues to face multiple investigations into whether his 2016 presidential campaign colluded with Moscow to interfere in the election.
_Tribune Washington Bureau
