You're reading: Pyatt says US expects to deliver about $335 million in additional security assistance to Ukraine

The United States expects to deliver about $335 million in additional security assistance to Ukraine, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt said.

“We’re very proud of our robust security cooperation with Ukraine and the difference it is making in helping improve Ukraine’s capacity to defend itself. Since the conflict in eastern Ukraine began in 2014, the United States has committed more than $266 million in security assistance to Ukraine to help Ukrainian forces better monitor and secure their border, operate more safely and effectively, and defend their Ukraine’s sovereignty. In the financial year 2016, we expect to deliver approximately $335 million in additional security assistance,” he told Interfax-Ukraine in an exclusive interview.

In his words, U.S. trainers from the Joint Multinational Training Group (JMTG-U) are providing classroom and field training to Ukrainian Army soldiers and the new Ukrainian Special Operations Forces on a wide array of military specialties including medical, marksmanship, construction and demolition, explosive ordnance disposal, and communications.

“On the equipment side, that assistance has included body armor, military vehicles, night and thermal vision devices, medical equipment, heavy engineering equipment, secure communications equipment, patrol boats, rations, tents, and sophisticated counter-mortar and counter-battery radars,” he said.

Speaking about lethal assistance to Ukraine, Pyatt said: “The decision of whether or not to provide lethal assistance to Ukraine is one that will be made in Washington.”