ARMING UKRAINE: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is back in Washington after a week-long trip that began in Jordan, included stops in Iraq and Turkey, and wrapped up in Ukraine. There, Mattis issued a sharp rebuke of Russia, and hinted more defensive firepower could soon be provided to the Ukrainian military by the U.S. “We support you in the face of threats to sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Mattis said at a news conference in Kiev. “Despite Russia’s denials, we know they are seeking to redraw international borders by force, undermining the sovereign and free nations of Europe.”

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