US to give Ukraine $335M security assistance

United States Vice President Joe Biden told the Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Thursday that the US was moving forward with an additional $335 million in security assistance for the Armed Forces, the National Guard and the State Border Service, the White House said in a statement.

Biden, who met with Poroshenko on the sidelines of a nuclear security summit, also told the Ukrainian leader that efforts by Kiev to form a reform-oriented government were critical to unlocking international economic assistance, including a third $1 billion US loan guarantee, the statement said.

According to Ukrainian media, the sides also discussed the development of the situation in the Donbass region.

The conflict in the Donbass region, which is continuing between the Ukrainian government and pro-Russian militia, started in March 2014 .

After the pro-Russian militia occupied the region, they declared two People's Republics respectively called Donetsk and Luhansk.

Also US Secretary of State John Kerry mentioned the details of his recent talks in Minsk.

The sides agreed on the implementation of the political aspect of the Minsk agreements and stressed that Russia should realise all terms in the sphere of security.

The Minsk agreement was signed by the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany to take measures for appeasing the ongoing war in the region of Ukraine on February 11, 2015.

The interlocutors also agreed on extensions of sanctions against Russia till it implements the agreements.

Biden assured of the US position on the non-recognition of Crimea's annexation.

Pentagon announced on Thursday that the US will be deploying an armoured brigade combat team to Eastern Europe next February as part of the ongoing effort to rotate troops in and out of the region to reassure allies worried about threats from an increasingly aggressive Russia.

Russia said that the possible US deployment of an armoured brigade in Eastern Europe is a threat to them.