US to expand Ukraine military training

Including this expanded training program, the U.S. will have spent over $244 million on supporting Ukraine since previous year.

Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, head of U.S. Army forces in Europe, stated earlier this month that U.S. officers have been discussing increasing the military coaching to embrace regular Ukrainian troops underneath the Defense Ministry.

“This training is part of our long-running defense cooperation with Ukraine and is taking place at the invitation of the Ukraine government”, said State Department spokersperson Mark Toner. It said the program is similar to training now being provided to the Ukrainian National Guard.

Toner said the United States would not be providing new equipment or new weaponry.

The United States has provided Ukrainian forces with non-lethal aid to help them battle Russian-backed rebels, but the administration has resisted providing lethal arms in hopes of preventing an escalation of the conflict. And there is no plans to change that.’. But under the new plan, the US military would train regular military units.

The U.S. began providing security assistance to Ukraine in 2014, with troops training Interior Ministry national guard units to strengthen the country’s security in the face of threats from Russia-backed rebels. The conflict has claimed more than 6,500 lives.

Ties between Washington and Moscow deteriorated last year after pro-Western forces ousted Ukraine’s former President Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014.