Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative or USAI is a

U.S. Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and supervising the six U.S. armed services: the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, t ...

-led funding program to increase

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

's capacity to defend itself more effectively against Russian aggression through the further training of its

Armed Forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a ...

, equipment, and advisory initiatives.

Overview

Included in USAI packages were training, equipment, and advising activities, in order to improve Ukraine's defensive capabilities, such as marine domain awareness, operational safety, and capacity of

Ukrainian Air Force The Ukrainian Air Force (, PS ZSU) is the air force of Ukraine and one of the eight Military branch, branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (ZSU). Its current form was created in 2004 by merging the Ukrainian Air Defence Forces into the Air Fo ...

facilities, as well as its lethality, command, control, and survivability. To counter Russian cyberattacks and misinformation, USAI also supports cyber defense and strategic communications. The USAI, in collaboration with the

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy of the United State ...

, supports a wide range of security assistance activities, including, but not limited to, intelligence support, personnel training, equipment and logistics support, supplies, and other services.

Security Assistance Group Ukraine (SAG-U)

In 2022, SAGU was formed as a point of contact. By 21 July 2022, the

EUCOM The United States European Command (EUCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its area of focus covers and 51 countries and territories, including Europe, the ...

Control Center-Ukraine/International Donor Coordination Centre (ECCU/IDCC) a joint cell formed in March 2022 had trained 1,500 Ukrainian Armed Forces members on coalition-donated equipment. By 4 November 2022, the equipment shipments, and training measures of the Ukraine Contact Group had become repeatable enough to systematize in a Security Assistance Group Ukraine (SAG-U), based in Wiesbaden, Germany.Cory Welt, Specialist in Russian and European Affairs --CR
(updated 7 Dec 2022) U.S. Security Assistance to Ukraine
IF12040 This long-term assistance commandMeghann Myer
(9 Nov 2022) Long-term assistance command to oversee training mission with Ukraine
/ref> was initially staffed on an emergency basis by

XVIII Airborne Corps The XVIII Airborne Corps is a corps of the United States Army that has been in existence since 1942 and saw extensive service during World War II. The corps is designed for Rapid deployment force, rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is r ...

commander Christopher T. Donohue. SAGU's first commander, Lieutenant General

Antonio Aguto Antonio Alzona Aguto Jr. (born November 18, 1966) is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who served as the commander of Security Assistance Group–Ukraine (SAGU) from 2022 to 2024. He served as the 40th commanding general of Firs ...

, was approved by the Senate on 22 December 2022.General Officer Management Offic
(22 Dec 2022) Lieutenant General Antonio A. Aguto, Jr. (USA)
*Jonathan Turner
(2 Dec 2022) Aguto will lead a new Army headquarters in Germany after leaving Rock Island Arsenal
By January 2023 500 Ukrainian soldiers per month were being trained.LARA SELIGMAN and PAUL MCLEAR
(18 Jan 2023) U.S. prepping major military package for Ukraine
"Friday's announcement is expected to include Stryker vehicles, but not tanks".

Funding

The $3 billion dispersed through the initiative in August 2022 can be used to purchase equipment, arms, and ammunition directly from U.S. defense contractors.

References

{{Ukraine–United States relations Ukraine–United States relations Reactions to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the United States United States and the Russian invasion of Ukraine