U.S. to allocate $120 million to equip Ukrainian army

02.03.2015 09:12

Ukrinform

The U.S. will allocate Ukraine $120 million in 2015 for training and equipping its troops.

KYIV, March 2 /Ukrinform/. The U.S. will allocate Ukraine $120 million in 2015 for training and equipping its troops.

U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Jeoffrey Pyatt said this in an interview with Ukrainian television's Inter channel, according to Espreso.TV.

"The U.S. Congress has approved the allocation of $120 million this year for training and purchasing equipment. The only question that is still being discussed is whether it should include defensive lethal weapons," Pyatt said.

According to him, the allocation of lethal weapons is not as important as the issue of reforms in the defense sector.

He also confirmed that the United States already has ample evidence of Russia's participation to the conflict - photos from satellites and other evidence of the presence of Russian troops and military equipment in Donbas, as well as weapons supplies.

Pyatt again focused attention on the role of the Russian side in the Donbas conflict, calling the Russian Federation the initiator and the reason for its escalation.