President Petro Poroshenko took part in the ceremony of receiving U.S.
radar stations by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The ceremony was held in the
International Peacekeeping Center of Yavoriv training ground.
Addressing the attendees, the Head of State said that the situation on
the frontline remained tense and threatening. Withdrawal of heavy weaponry
makes the issue of timely prevention of provocations against our troops
increasingly topical. "For this end, we need modern rocket-artillery
defensive weaponry designated for the detection of the enemy's artillery. Its
presence will be an effective additional factor deterring the aggressor.
These
stations will save lives of our servicemen and civilians," the President
stressed.
AN/TPQ-36 counterbattery radar stations were conveyed in the framework
of the program of military-technical cooperation with the United States.
Respective agreement on the supply of stations was achieved at the meeting
between President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and President of the United
States Barack Obama in New York in September 2015.
The Head of State expressed gratitude to the U.S. for providing military
and security assistance in the amount of more than USD 265 million already.
This allowed training of the National Guard, the Armed Forces and the Rapid
Reaction Forces of the Ministry of the Interior. We also received secure
communication means, night vision devices and Humvees, including their armored
modifications, from the United States.
According to the President, the draft U.S. Defense Budget 2016 provides
for the allocation of USD 300 million for the enhancement of defense capacity
of Ukraine. The President of Ukraine discussed that issue with U.S. Secretary
of the Treasury Jacob Lew. "Over UAH 7 billion. It is a huge sum of money.
Especially, if we evaluate it in terms of our spending for the defense-security
complex, which in 2016 will amount to UAH 100 billion approximately," the
President noted.
The Head of State added that the given assistance was aimed to prevent
the attempts of terrorists to carry out terrorist attacks against Ukrainian
troops and civilians.
The President is confident the Ukrainian servicemen will soon learn how
to use these stations with the assistance of American instructors.
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