REUTERS
The minister spoke of the outcome of his meeting with Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper.
Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Stepan Poltorak, states that Ukraine has agreed with the United States of America on measures for receiving the second tranche of security assistance.
Speaking with journalists in Brussels where he attended the NATO defense ministers' meeting,
He elaborated on the outcome of his meeting with Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper.
"We agreed on key measures for the U.S. Congress to decide on the allocation of the second tranche of security assistance. Incidentally, a significant portion of resources will be allocated for the needs of the Navy and strengthening our coastal infrastructure in the Black Sea-Azov region. Special attention will be paid to reforming the military command system to meet NATO standards and expanding the defense ministry's capacities to exercise democratic and civilian control," said Poltorak.
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"Also, it was noted that the United States is beginning active work to help Ukraine in reforming its defense industry," he said.
As UNIAN reported earlier, the U.S. budget for 2019 lays down $250 million in military technical assistance for Ukraine, of which $125 million is military assistance.
On January 25, a draft resolution was submitted to the U.S. Senate, calling for increased defense assistance to Ukraine and supporting the abolition of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline bypassing Ukraine.
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U.S. lawmakers are urging US President Donald Trump to apply provisions of the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act to strengthen the capacity of Ukraine's Armed Forces.
Also, it is proposed to provide additional security support to Ukraine through the appropriate programs of the State Department and the Pentagon, especially with a view to strengthening Ukraine’s maritime capabilities to prevent and repel further Russian aggression.