KIEV, June 2 (RIA Novosti) – The United States has doubled its financial military aid to Ukraine, bringing it to a hefty $18 million over the past few months, according to US’s second top military commander Derek Chollet.
Chollet, who serves as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs at the US Department of Defense, said at a press briefing in Kiev on Monday he had met with Ukraine’ chief of the National Security and Defense Council Andry Paruby and Defense Minister Mikhailo Koval.
The US deputy defense chief confessed they had discussed Washington’s military assistance to Kiev, saying the US was to give Ukraine twice as much money as it used to. He claimed the funds would be used to buy non-lethal supplies for Ukrainian troops, including foodstuff.
Washington hopes for a long-term military cooperation with Kiev, the US military commander told journalists.
Chollet’s visit to Kiev came on the heels of an interview of US Ambassador to Ukraine Jeffrey Payette to the local ZN.UA newspaper, where the diplomat confirmed the United States had doubled its military assistance to Kiev over the past three months, although he didn’t cite any exact figures.
A source in the know earlier told RIA Novosti Ukraine’s new president Petro Poroshenko had discussed his country’s “anti-terrorist” operation in Ukraine’s southeast with Jeffrey Payette. The US diplomat reportedly urged the government in Ukraine to act decisively against the people in the region.
The US envoy also promised to “quell the international outcry” over the possible casualties of the crackdown in the restive Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
