US to Continue Training Ukraine Security Forces in Autumn

Washington is ready to continue training Ukrainian security forces in the autumn.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Washington plans to continue training Ukraine’s defense personnel in the autumn 2015 in the West of the country, US State Department Deputy spokesperson Mark Toner said on Friday.

“The United States intends to continue training Ukrainian security forces this fall in western Ukraine,” Toner said during a press briefing.

The spokesperson explained that it will be a small unit training in western Ukraine near Poland conducted by US Army Europe for the Ukraine Ministry of Defense personnel.

“It’s similar quite frankly to our ongoing training of the National Guard which we announced last March. This training is part of our long-running defense cooperation with Ukraine and is taking place at the invitation of the Ukraine government,” he added.

Toner concluded that this additional program brings US total security assistance committed to Ukraine since 2014 to more than $244 million.

US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter told the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier in July that the Ukrainian military was requesting additional training from Washington, following his meeting with Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak in Brussels, Belgium in June.

Washington has been providing Kiev with non-lethal military assistance over the past year. In April, the United States sent 300 troops to Ukraine to train the country’s National Guard.

The Kiev government has said it is planning to hold three joint drills with US troops later in 2015.