The United States will provide Ukraine with two Island-class patrol boats to help counter growing tensions with Russia in the Black Sea region, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Valeriy Chaly, told journalists on Aug. 21 in Kyiv.
He said the patrol boats, which are used by the U.S. Coast Guard, will boost Ukraine’s capacity in the Black Sea, a region at the brink of a new conflict since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Since the opening of the Kerch bridge connecting the Ukrainian peninsula to Russia, the Russian coast guard have been blocking Ukrainian trade ships in the Azov sea.
However, it is unknown when the patrol boats will be delivered, as the agreement for their transfer is a work in progress.
“I can say this year we will receive the rights to them, then they will have to be equipped; patrol guards need to be trained. It will take time. This is a question of months not days,” Chaly said.
The patrol boats are part of the U.S. military assistance package for Ukraine, with maritime and coastal defense systems having been included on the list of military hardware to be supplied, such as anti-tank weapons, communication systems, and counter-artillery radars. The new defense budget bill (NDAA) passed by the U.S. Congress also allocated $250 million in defense aid to Ukraine in 2019.
Earlier in spring, Ukraine received 210 U.S.-made Javelin anti-tank missile systems.
“Not only is this a sign of support (for Ukraine). It’s a sign of trust and recognition of (Ukraine’s) progress in the fight against corruption,” Chaly said, pointing to the unprecedentedly high level of strategic partnership between the two nations.
