President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said that the military from the NATO countries come to "learn" from the Armed Forces of Ukraine "to repel aggression."
“And today, when we have an absolutely powerful fighting spirit, absolutely fantastic combat capability, today our partners from NATO member countries come to our Ukrainian soldiers to learn how to repel aggression, win in a hybrid war, beat enemy, ”RIA Novosti cites the words of the Ukrainian president.
According to Poroshenko, in 2014, the Ukrainian army "met the enemy naked and barefoot" and "with naked enthusiasm."
“What path have we traveled since 2014, when we didn’t have any armor, no bullet-proof vests, unloading vests, knee pads and elbow pads, and we only saw what a night vision device was on the Internet,” the Ukrainian president said
Previously, he repeatedly said that he was proud of the country's armed forces and called the Ukrainian army "one of the most combat-ready in Europe."
- President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko
- Reuters
- © Mikhail Palinchak / Ukrainian Presidential Press Service / Pool
The main problem of the Ukrainian army is that it exists in difficult conditions, said a military expert, head of the Center for the Study of Public Applied Problems of National Security, retired colonel Alexander Zhilin.
“There is no control system, there is no training system, there is no system in which the servicemen would know what role they play. There is nothing, ”concluded the expert in an interview with RT. He noted that the maintenance of the armed forces is a very complicated and costly procedure.
“The army is an institution. For its operation we need funds, personnel and much more. In Ukraine, this is nothing. Everything from military schools to the General Staff was destroyed, ”said Zhilin.
The head of the Ukrainian analytical center, economist Oleksandr Okhrimenko called Poroshenko’s remarks on election rhetoric.
“It’s simply impossible to comment seriously, because it’s nonsense. In NATO countries, in any case, the army is much higher, steeper and more technologically, more prepared. What can they learn from the Ukrainian army? How to steal from the budget? ”- said the expert.
Poroshenko’s statement is meaningless and not related to reality, Okhrimenko stressed in an interview with RT.
“Elections are coming soon. Slogans end, and Poroshenko generates new ones. I am sure that the NATO generals are not even aware that they, it turns out, are going to go and study with the Ukrainian army. I think they will be very surprised to hear this news, ”summed up the expert.
Western participation
At the same time, the Ukrainian armed forces rely heavily on material assistance from the western "partners". However, the equipment they are often supplied is not the most modern.
One example of such assistance to Washington from Washington was the transfer of two Island-class patrol boats launched in 1988 and decommissioned from service in the United States in 2017.
For the first time this became known in September last year. The Ukrainian side then declared that it would receive boats on a grant basis and that Kiev needed vessels to "enhance the opportunities in the Black Sea basin."
However, the boats have not yet arrived in Ukraine, since they cannot cross the ocean.
“Now there are two ships in Baltimore. This is the property of Ukraine, but they are not yet ready to cross the ocean to work in the Black Sea. This will be held this year, ”UNIAN reported with reference to Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent.
The help of the West to the Ukrainian army Zhilin called specific and compared it with the realization of unnecessary things.
“They are sending some decommissioned trash to Ukraine in the form of assistance. There is really no help. The help is not systemic, it’s just some kind of irritant for Russia, ”concluded Zhilin.
In addition, in February it became known about the plans of the United States to allocate up to $ 1 million for the modernization of two military hospitals in the cities of Dnipro (formerly Dnipropetrovsk) and Novoyavorovsk.
The list of works announced in the tenders includes general repair, installation of a thermal insulation system, replacement of the roof, redevelopment, and placement of a complex for the rehabilitation of the musculoskeletal system. According to RT, the infrastructure of American instructors is located next to these two hospitals and the military may require medical care.
In October, the cooperation of the US military with the APU turned into a tragic incident. In the Vinnitsa region during a combat flight, the Su-27 crashed, carrying the aviation command of the Vostok air command, Colonel Ivan Petrenko, and Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Seth Nering. Both pilots died.