Ukraine entering level of strategic partnership with U.S. for first time - Ambassador Chaly

Ukraine and the United States have reached an new level of cooperation in the field of security and defense, Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States Valeriy Chaly has said.

"I believe that today Ukraine, for the first time in all years of cooperation with the U.S., is entering the level of strategic partnership," Chaly said at a press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday.

The ambassador said that Ukraine was in the top ten of priority countries in matters of U.S. foreign policy.

"We are in the top ten of the U.S. attention as a priority in foreign policy," he said.

According to Chaly, keeping the U.S. attention to Europe is "the number one task."

He noted that the strategic partnership was not only U.S. statements on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. He stressed that Ukraine and the U.S. had reached an "entirely new level" of cooperation in the field of security and defense. According to the ambassador, an increase in U.S. support for Ukraine's security and defense should remain a priority of cooperation.

"Today, Ukraine [received] about 620 million dollars in terms of direct financial aid, without any return. It is one of the largest levels of assistance provided by Americans around the world," Chaly said.

He also noted that the Pentagon was increasing annual financial assistance to Ukraine.

"This year it is 200 million [U.S. dollars], next year it will 250 million [U.S. dollars]. In general, including the reforms, we have 620 million dollars," the ambassador said.

Chaly expressed hope that the U.S.-Ukraine Strategic Partnership Commission would resume its work in the near future.