The Pentagon said Friday it will provide an additional $200 million to Ukraine to boost its security as it struggles with a Russia-backed insurgency.
The funding will go to more training, equipment and military advising so the former Soviet republic can “defend its territorial integrity,” the Pentagon said in a statement. The U.S. has supplied more than $1 billion in security assistance to the country since 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and backed rebels in eastern Ukraine.
The Pentagon’s announcement comes just days after President Trump held a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Finland that was aimed at improving U.S.-Russian relations.
But Russian aggression in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea remain a major diplomatic hurdle and have drawn wide international condemnation.
The Trump administration broke with the previous administration and began providing lethal weaponry, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, to Ukraine earlier this year.
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The $200 million in new security funding is a significant increase in assistance and is likely to send a stronger message to Moscow.
“The added funds will provide equipment to support ongoing training programs and operational needs, including capabilities to enhance Ukraine’s command and control, situational awareness systems, secure communications, military mobility, night vision, and military medical treatment,” the Pentagon said in its statement.
[Related: Putin tells Russian diplomats he suggested to Trump to hold Ukraine referendum: Report]
