Ukrainian border guards get US-funded equipment: Pentagon
WASHINGTON, May 6 (Xinhua) — Ukraine’s border guard has received a large percentage of the U.S.-funded equipment it requested, a Pentagon spokesman said on Tuesday.
Steven Warren told reporters that the Pentagon recently provided funding to Ukraine for locally purchased equipment.
“To date,” he said, “using Cooperative Threat Reduction funds, Embassy Kyiv has purchased and delivered fuel pumps, concertina wire, vehicle batteries, spare parts, binoculars and communications gear for the Ukrainian border guards for use in monitoring and securing their borders.”
The assistance to Ukraine falls into two categories: one for the border guard and another for regular army support, he added.
On an increase in Russian naval presence in the Black Sea, Warren emphasized the need for de-escalation.
“The Black Sea is international waters,” he said. “The Russians, of course, as all nations, can train and travel through international waters. We’ve long called on the Russians to take steps to de-escalate the tensions in that region.”
“Certainly, increased naval presence in the Black Sea does not contribute to de-escalation,” he said.
Pentagon officials believed the Russians have an opportunity to take actions that will help to bring a swift and peaceful resolution to the situation in Ukraine, Warren added.
Tensions remain unabated in eastern Ukraine, where government troops and pro-Russia activists are engaged in tense fighting.