NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine endorsed at the Warsaw Summit – Colonel Oksana Havrylyuk

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NATO steps up its assistance to Ukraine, the tools the Alliance uses for it include assistance through the trust funds, targeted programs, expertise. At the Warsaw Summit Ukraine signs bilateral agreements with the UK and Poland to enhance cooperation and advance with reforms. Joint U.S.-Ukrainian drills will start this month.

Kyiv, July 12, 2016. At the NATO Summit in Warsaw, the Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine was endorsed. The Comprehensive Assistance Package contains materials and practical assistance in 40 areas that mainly target Ukraine’s defense potential and security sector, said Oksana Havrylyuk, Head of communications and press department at Ukraine’s Defense Ministry at a press-briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. “Assistance to Ukraine will be provided through eight targeted trust funds. Five specialized programs as well as a series of bilateral projects will be established. A number of NATO advisors in Ukraine will be increased to coordinate the activities in a more efficient way, Alliance’s project coordinator is to be set up,” explained Colonel Havrylyuk.  

During the Summit, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak had a meeting with the  Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom Michael Fallon. They discussed reforming of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry and assistance with the expertise of advisors from the UK in conducting reforms and training of troops.

The Heads of defense agencies of Ukraine and Poland signed a Protocol between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Poland on military-technical cooperation. “The Protocol foresees establishing of the Working Group on military-technical cooperation that will operate in the framework of the Ukrainian-Polish intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation,” said Colonel Havrylyuk.

On July 18, the joint U.S.-Ukrainian exercise Sea Breeze 2016 will take place. It will be held in Odesa and Mykolayiv regions as well as in the north-eastern part of the Black Sea. The theme of this year’s training is conducting a multinational security operation in a crisis region. According to Colonel Havrylyuk it is planned that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will take part in 10 multinational training events over 2016: four of them will be held in Ukraine and six abroad.