The U.S. Defense Department says it will give $200 million to Ukraine to help bolster its military’s defensive capabilities.
The Pentagon said in an announcement Friday the money will be used to help fund military training, equipment and advisory assistance. All the military aid is nonlethal in nature.
A timeline for delivery of the aid and equipment is to be determined later, the Pentagon said.
The latest military aid brings the total U.S. security sector assistance to Ukraine to more than $1 billion since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea.
Ukraine’s government has been working to make its armed forces more compatible with those of the NATO alliance.
“The implementation of these reforms will bolster Ukraine’s ability to defend its territorial integrity in support of a secure and democratic Ukraine,” the Pentagon said.
The new assistance comes during a time of political debate over U.S.-Russian relations in the aftermath of the Helsinki summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
