KIEV, Aug. 18 -- British Secretary of State for Defense Ben Wallace discussed strengthening Ukraine's security and defense capabilities through cooperation with Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Taran during a visit to Kiev on Tuesday.
"The main focus was on the assessment of the security situation in eastern Ukraine and the Azov-Black Sea region, trends and prospects for its development and ways to respond to emerging threats. We also discussed the prospects of implementing defense reform, Euro-Atlantic integration," Taran said during a joint briefing after the meeting with Wallace.
Ukrainian and British delegations highlighted the priorities of Ukrainian-British military cooperation, particularly the development of capabilities and increasing the combat potential of the Ukrainian Navy with the participation of Britain.
Wallace reiterated the invariability of British government's position to support Ukraine in the current security environment.
Since February 2017, the British Defense Ministry has been conducting the Operation Orbital in Ukraine. As part of this operation, British instructors teach Ukrainian military personnel to provide medical care, establish logistics, conduct counter-sniper combat and infantry battles. More than 18,000 Ukrainian soldiers have already completed the training, according to the British Defense Ministry.