US answers about training Ukrainian troops in other countries; 'had trainers on ground'

Amid the Russian aggression in Ukraine, the Press Secretary of White House Jen Psaki did not deny the potential of US military experts training Ukrainian fighters in European countries bordering Ukraine, at the press briefing Monday, Psaki claimed that the US has given the Ukrainian military and administration more military aid than any other country in the world, as well as more historic assistance this year than any other year in the country's history. She stated that they are doing it to help them go through these tough times.

Psaki also said that their focus right now is primarily on providing and continuing to expedite the military support to Ukraine and that they are able to get them that support on the ground because of the coordination with the NATO allies. However, US President Joe Biden has stated that no US forces will be deployed in Ukraine to fight the Russian forces. Meanwhile, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has supplied training to Ukraine at a secret location in the southern US, in addition to providing intelligence support and billions of dollars in armaments to Ukrainian forces, according to Sputnik. The report suggests that the CIA has experts stationed in eastern Ukraine to help the country's paramilitary forces.

US also supported Ukraine under NATO's 'CAP' effort

Apart from bilateral security, intelligence, and logistical aid, the US has also supported Ukraine until recently under NATO's "Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP)," effort. NATO says that the CAP aims to strengthen Ukraine's ability to provide for its own security and pursue broad-based security and defence reforms based on Euro-Atlantic values. However, NATO has resisted Ukraine's repeated requests to establish a no-fly zone over Kyiv in the aftermath of Russia's special military operation, which started on February 24.

On Monday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby stated unequivocally that the United States military and other assistance to Ukraine is not provided under NATO but these are autonomous decisions made by individual governments about how to support Ukraine, according to Sputnik. One of the key reasons for Russia's special military operation in Ukraine is NATO's eastward expansion, which has enlisted new members in the former Soviet Union's territory.

Image: AP