WASHINGTON, March 28 - The U.S. should provide lethal weapons to the Ukrainian military to support its fight against Russian-backed rebels, the top American general in Europe told lawmakers on Tuesday.

“I personally believe that we need to consider lethal defensive weapons for Ukraine,” Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti said in testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, the Stars and Stripes reported.

The United States already has the authorization to provide such weaponry to Ukraine, which has been fighting a Russian proxy force in the eastern regions of its country since 2014. Congress included the provision in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act as part of a more than $150 million package to aid Ukraine, but President Barack Obama’s administration declined to provide any lethal weapons.

Instead, the U.S. military has provided American troops to train Ukrainians and non-lethal equipment including Humvees.

Ukraine is not a member of NATO, but the United States and other NATO allies have backed the nation as it has faced near-constant fighting since Russian-backed separatist forces annexed Crimea. The United States has accused Russia of supplying its own forces and modern weapons in the ongoing war that has killed nearly 10,000 people. Scaparrotti has visited Ukraine twice since he become the chief of U.S. European Command in May 2016. He said Tuesday that the Ukrainian military would welcome additional American support in its fight against “a very lethal, tough enemy.”

“I am very impressed with [Ukraine’s] military and its discipline,” he said. “What we have provided them … is being well used, and they are very eager in terms of their ability to learn more.”

President Donald Trump’s administration has not presented a clear policy on the conflict in Ukraine. On the campaign trail, Trump, who has said he supports closer ties to Russia, called the conflict in Ukraine a European problem that America should avoid.

Scaparrotti said Tuesday that he had yet to speak directly with Trump.

The general said Russia has used Ukraine, like Syria, as a testing ground for its latest military equipment. Among systems that Russia has tested there are drones that guide artillery fire.

Critics of arming Ukraine, including some in Obama’s administration, cite concerns that additional weapons in the region could further inflame the conflict. (st/ez)