"I have been an advocate for arming them with lethal defensive weapons, more to bolster their resolve and bolster their morale," Clapper told the Council on Foreign Relations, a New York think tank Monday.
"This is not company policy, this is just me, Jimmy Clapper, speaking. And this is something in deliberation right now among the policy community," Clapper said
US authorities are considering the supply of lethal weapons to Ukraine, but the December US Congress legislation that authorized $350 million to arm Kiev forces has not been enacted by US President Barack Obama.
Kiev and the independence supporters signed a deal last month stipulating ceasefire, yet both sides reported numerous violations of the truce. The conflict in eastern Ukraine started last April, and has claimed more than 6,000 lives according to the UN.
