The U.S. Defense Department has announced a resumption of millions of dollars in military assistance to Ukraine after it was frozen last year, putting it at the heart of the impeachment of President Donald Trump.
The Pentagon said $250 million will be released to assist with “training, equipment, and advisory efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s capacity to more effectively defend itself against Russian aggression.”
A Pentagon statement says the aid reaffirms the long-standing defense relationship between the United States and Ukraine, adding that the country is “a critical partner on the front line of strategic competition with Russia.”
The support will complement NATO security assistance to Kyiv and comes after the United States certified the Ukraine government had implemented required reforms in the military, the Pentagon statement said.
Over the past year, Ukraine has taken "considerable steps" to strengthen civilian control of the military, reform management and command structures, and reduce corruption, it said.
The United States and other Western countries have expanded support of Ukraine's military since Moscow seized control of the Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 after sending in troops and staging a referendum dismissed as illegal by at least 100 countries. Moscow is also backing separatists in a war in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 13,000 people since April 2014.
The Pentagon statement says the United States continues to urge all allies and partners to enhance their support for Ukraine’s security and defense.
Last year, Trump froze hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to the country while he sought help from the government to investigate former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, his Democratic challenger in the November presidential election.
Democrats said Trump’s request amounted to a quid pro quo for military aid and launched an impeachment inquiry for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Trump was acquitted by the Senate early this year.
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
Russian Troops Remaining In Syria Reportedly Lack Food, Water
2Kyiv Says It Broke Up Russian Spy Network Targeting F-16 Fighter Data
3Assad's Fall Is A Blow To Russia. Here's What It Means For The War In Ukraine.
4Ukraine, U.S. Say North Korean Soldiers Killed, Wounded In Russia's Kursk
5The Moment A Russian General Was Killed By A Scooter Bomb In Moscow
6What A Ukraine Peace Plan Could Look Like
7'They Look Tense': Photographer Describes Scenes At Russian Base In Syria
8Russian General Charged With Chemical Weapons Use In Ukraine Killed In Blast Claimed By Kyiv
9Russia Appears To Prepare Some Military Equipment For Withdrawal From Syria
10Bolstered By North Korean Troops, Russia Presses Attacks in Kursk Region
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.
