Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is holding negotiations with United States Secretary of Defense James Mattis in Kyiv on Thursday.

The meeting began at the Ukrainian presidential administration office at midday. Poroshenko and Mattis are expected to make remarks to the press after the talks.

The Ukrainian president, the U.S. secretary of defense and the defense ministers of a number of other countries attended a Ukraine Independence Day parade in Kyiv's Independence Square earlier on Thursday.

When speaking prior to the Pentagon chief's arrival, Poroshenko underscored the importance of the upcoming talks and said that the U.S. delegation's visit was crucial for efforts to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities.

Apart from his talks with Poroshenko, Mattis will also meet with Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak.

During their bilateral meeting, Poltorak and Mattis "will discuss the current security situation in the country and in the world, key aspects of reforms ongoing in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and major avenues for further cooperation between the two countries' defense agencies," the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said in a statement.