WASHINGTON – The Department of State announced March 3 that the United States will provide $8 million in assistance to help build Ukraine’s cybersecurity capabilities.

Part of the funding, which was discussed during the third U.S.-Ukraine cyber dialogue in Kyiv Tuesday, will go toward the U.S. Agency for International Development’s new cybersecurity project. The plan aims to invest $38 million over four years to build Ukraine’s cybersecurity capabilities, the release said.

In 2017, the U.S. gave $10 million in cybersecurity assistance funds to Ukraine during the first bilateral cyber dialogue.

The funds come two months after Ukraine asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation for help investigating a cyberattack by Russian military hackers to Burisma, the energy company involved in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.

Representatives from the Departments of Defense, Energy and Homeland Security, as well as the FBI, discussed recent national cybersecurity policy developments, 5G security concerns and international cyber policy issues, according to the release. Joseph Pennington, acting deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, lead the U.S. delegation.

The State Department release said the meeting served to “reaffirm our shared commitment to ensure an open, interoperable, reliable, and secure cyberspace in which all states behave responsibly.”

Chiara Vercellone is a reporter interning with Defense News, C4ISRNET and Fifth Domain Cyber

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