"We have now trained over 5,000 Ukrainian service personnel, sending a clear message that we are committed to supporting the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. As the UK is stepping up across the world, we are standing side by side with our Ukrainian friends," Fallon was quoted as saying by the government press service.
Fallon and Poltorak also discussed the ways the United Kingdom might contribute to the implementation of Ukrainian defense and security reforms.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces entered into armed confrontation with Donbas militia in 2014, after the self-proclaimed Luhansk (LPR) and Donetsk (DPR) People’s Republics refused to recognize the new Ukrainian government that came to power in what they perceive to be a coup. The sides to the conflict continue to exchange fire, despite the ceasefire deal, reached in Minsk in February 2015 and brokered by the so-called Normandy Quartet that comprises Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine. The US and Canadian assistance to the Ukrainian government also involves providing military training to the country’s troops.
