Fact Sheet – U.S.-Ukraine Strategic Defense Framework
Aug. 31, 2021
The signing of the U.S.-Ukraine Strategic Defense Framework by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Minister of Defence Andrii Taran enhances the robust strategic defense partnership between the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine (MOD).
The Strategic Defense Framework reaffirms key principles and sets ambitious objectives for our bilateral defense relationship by:
- Outlining pathways for the advancement of shared bilateral priorities to meet current and emerging security challenges;
- Reiterating our commitment to shared democratic values, including the rule of law and respect for human rights;
- Reaffirming DoD’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and condemning Russia’s occupation of Crimea and aggression in eastern Ukraine;
- Delineating further how DoD and MOD collaborate to advance the military capabilities and readiness of Ukraine to preserve the country’s territorial integrity, progress toward NATO interoperability, and promote regional security;
- Reiterating DoD’s continued support for Ukraine’s right to decide its own future foreign policy course, free from outside interference, including with respect to Ukraine’s NATO aspirations, as the United States and Allies reaffirmed in the June 2021 NATO Summit Communique.
To continue toward these goals through December 2026, as laid out in the Framework, DoD and MOD have decided that the U.S.-Ukraine bilateral defense relationship should focus on, but is not limited to, the following strategic priorities:
- Ensuring that bilateral security cooperation and U.S. assistance effectively helps Ukraine to counter Russian aggression, including through a robust training and exercise program.
- Implementing defense sector reforms, in line with NATO principles and standards, building on the significant progress made since 2014.
- Facilitating the execution of a defense industry strategy and reforms to meet the needs of Ukraine’s forces, including greater transparency in Ukrainian defense procurement, the implementation of Ukrainian corporate governance reforms, and building long-term strategic partnership in the field of science and technology that impact the future security environment.
- Deepening Black Sea cooperation to ensure freedom of navigation and effectively counter external threats and challenges in all domains.
- Strengthening cooperation on cyber security to deter malicious cyber activities on national security systems, to attribute such activities, and to defend against adversaries effectively.
- Closer partnership of defense intelligence communities in support of military planning and defensive operations.
DoD and MoD are jointly pursuing these strategic priorities through several lines of effort and associated activities aimed at reinforcing our shared policy objectives. All activities are dependent upon availability of forces, resources, funding, and authorization.
