For more than 18 years, the State Border Guard Service has been working with U.S. ministries and agencies, including the Export Control and Border Security Program.

Cooperation has significantly intensified since the aggression of the Russian Federation in 2014, when our American colleagues supported Ukraine in the difficult time of struggle for freedom.

The cooperation of the border agency with partners is aimed at improving the effectiveness of combating illegal activities at the border, stopping smuggling, illegal movement of mass destruction weapons, as well as strengthening the capacity of naval units.

An international project to build the maritime border security capacity of the Export Control and Border Security Program (EXBS) of the Office of International Security and Non-Proliferation of the US Department of State is currently being actively implemented. It will increase the ability to perform the task of border protection at sea.

According to Philip Dolliff, spokesman for non-proliferation programs (ISN / NP) at the US Department of State's Office of International Security and Non-Proliferation, Russia's continued aggression in the Azov and Black Seas threatens Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and economy.

"The United States' support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty remains steadfast," he said.

At the same time, the Head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Serhii Deineko noted that the steps of cooperation allow to deploy new units, train personnel according to NATO standards, build modern military camps with maximum mobility and functionality.

"Since last year, our units have received modern surveillance equipment and equipment for underwater work worth over UAH 30 million," Serhii Deineko added.

"Our main challenge is to work with the Strategic Administration of Trade Control to help other countries, and we are starting it with providing border security," said Kevin Killer, Counselor at the US Embassy in Ukraine.

Special operations units receive the most modern equipment that allows them to effectively deal with threats, participate in special activities, and save the lives and health of personnel.

Maritime Guard develops and strengthens existing units of this type and creates new ones. At the same time, equipping new bases according to modern standards of the Coast Guards of the world's leading countries, provides a logistical, technical, administrative, household and social component as well.

In the future - a new scale, such as a project to create a rapid response center and technical support for the Maritime Guard in Odessa, worth 12 million US dollars as well as the deployment and arrangement of new bases for the Maritime Guard Divisions on the Black Sea and the Danube.