WASHINGTON, December 9 (Sputnik) — The United States is working together with Ukraine to broaden US military, financial and economic assistance to Kiev, Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Olexander Motsyk has told Sputnik.
"We [the United States and Ukraine] work on further broadening this assistance, and step by step we are moving ahead," Motsyk said Monday when asked about security cooperation and military training provided to Ukraine by the United States.
The ambassador did not specify the types of security aid the United States is providing Ukraine with. He expressed deep gratitude to the government of the United States and European Union for full spectrum assistance including "financial and economic help, and including help in the area of military [and] technical [assistance]".
Motsyk would not elaborate on the details of military collaboration between the United States and Ukraine any further.
"I cannot go into details, but we work with the United States on this issue," the ambassador said referring to military and technical support.
To date the United States has provided $118 million worth of aid to Ukraine, which includes military training and non-lethal aid, according to the US State and Defense departments.
US President Barack Obama's administration has publicly refused authorizing lethal military support to the government in Kiev, despite strong support for lethal aid from the US Congress.
Obama's deputy national security adviser Anthony Blinken has said that lethal support to Ukraine remains an option for the administration.
A military conflict erupted in Ukraine in mid-April, when Kiev launched a special operation in the southeast of the country, where independence supporters refused to recognize the new government, which came to power as a result of the February coup.
Both sides agreed to a ceasefire in September, but have since accused each other of violating the truce multiple times.
