BODØ, Norway–The United States signed an agreement with Ukraine to help the eastern European nation further modernize its military, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Thursday.
Carter told reporters in London before departing for Bodø that the five-year modernization agreement “ran the gamut,” from command and control (C2) and training to acquisition and logistics. Carter said since Ukraine will remain an important European power for a long time, it is important for it to have the capability for self defense, interoperability with the U.S. while undergoing necessary reforms and transformation.
The deal, Carter said, was about helping Ukraine move from reacting to events to being proactive.
“It allows us greatly to strengthen…and get (Ukraine) off a sort of ad hoc basis of the last two years (of) reacting to events and put it on…a more sustained and systematic horizon,” Carter said.
Carter also said retired Army Gen. John Abizaid agreed to serve as a senior adviser to Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak. Carter had discussed with Poltorak finding a senior adviser to help him, leading Carter to reach out to Abizaid to ask him to support Ukraine’s effort. Abizaid served as commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) from July 2003 to March 2007. He also served as executive assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; director of strategic plans and policy (J5) on the Joint Staff and director of the Joint Staff.
While this agreement does not include the U.S. providing Ukraine with money and weapons, Carter said the U.S. is already providing Ukraine with several hundred millions of dollars worth of equipment. The U.S., Carter said, is involved with a multi-national training unit in Ukraine.
“This agreement makes all of that both easier and all pursuant to the purposes of transformation of the Ukrainian military,” he said.
Carter late Thursday attended an official dinner with Norwegian Defence Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide here. On Friday he heads to Oslo for a joint press conference with Søreide before returning to Washington.