Ukraine to Host International Military Exercises Under the Auspices of the US

KYIV, February 3, 2011 - Ukraine and the US have agreed on conducting military
exercises in Ukraine, according to the Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Colonel-General Hryhoriy Pedchenko. The exercises will feature "Sea Breeze",
"Rapid Trident" as well as three other sets of drills.

Ukraine has reached the agreement with the Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff in late January in Brussels. "We have agreed on the road map
for conducting the multinational exercises under the auspices of the US. The
drills will feature "Sea Breeze", "Rapid Trident" etc. The set of five
different exercises will take place on the territory of Ukraine", stated
Pedchenko.

By the means of conducting the exercises, Ukraine is planning
to broaden its cooperation with a number of countries, not only the US. "The
exercises are originally Ukrainian-American; however, I have invited our
neighbors to participate: Poles, Slovaks, Hungarians, Romanians, and
Russians", said the Ukrainian Chairman. He also stressed, that the main goal
of the training is to "raise the level of confidence in each other" (speaking
of participating countries. - Editor).

"Sea Breeze" drills have been conducted in Ukraine since 1997.
These exercises traditionally involve the troops of NATO countries on
rotational basis.

In 2009, the Ukrainian parliament refused to approve
international military exercises on Ukrainian soil. However, in 2010 the
Ukrainian MPs voted in favor of the NATO drills taking place in the country.

The 1997 Charter on a Distinctive Partnership, which
established the NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC) has become the formal basis for
NATO-Ukraine relations.

For more information, please contact Maryna Khorunzha, +380509151565, news at wnu-ukraine.com, Project Manager at Worldwide News Ukraine