Ukraine and USA agree to strengthen cooperation in monitoring the use of security assistance

Ukraine and the United States agreed to strengthen cooperation in monitoring the use of security assistance provided by the United States to Ukraine.

This was announced by the Ministry of Defense, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

In particular, it is reported that the Main Inspection of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Office of the Inspector General of the US Department of Defense signed a memorandum of understanding. On the Ukrainian side, the memorandum was signed by the Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Admiral Ihor Voronchenko, on the American side, by the Inspector General of the US Department of Defense, Robert Storch.

The purpose of the document is to strengthen cooperation in the field of control over the use of international aid. Among other things, the memorandum provides for:

• sharing relevant information to detect, confirm and prevent fraud or corruption affecting or relating to US security assistance to Ukraine;
• carrying out joint measures to detect, confirm and prevent fraud and corruption;
• creation of a mechanism for mutual transfer of requests related to investigations and measures within the powers and jurisdiction of the parties;
• holding periodic meetings to determine priority areas of cooperation to achieve common goals.

Defense Minister Rustem Umierov, during a meeting with the Inspector General of the US Department of Defense Storch in Kyiv, informed the American side about the ongoing institutional transformations in the Ministry, in particular regarding the introduction of an effective system of supervision, risk management, compliance, prevention of corruption in the field of procurement, as well as the introduction of tools of democratic control in the field of defense.

"By late April, we will have a hundred percent confidence that all supervisory mechanisms will be implemented and the system will work," the Minister said.

Umierov also emphasized that strengthening control and transparency in the use of security assistance provided to Ukraine by partners is one of the priorities of the ministry's work.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on January 23, US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin, in his introductory speech during the opening of the online meeting of the 18th meeting of the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine in the Ramstein format, stated that the US does not have any reliable evidence of misuse or illegal transfer to third parties of American weapons provided to Ukraine.

In early January, the coordinator of strategic communications of the National Security Council at the White House, John Kirby, said that an inspection conducted by the United States of America did not reveal any signs of misuse of military aid to Ukraine.