President Petro Poroshenko has taken part in the solemn opening of the Ukrainian-American Command Post Exercise “Fearless Guardian – 2015” in the International Peacekeeping and Security Center in Lviv region. The Head of State called this training a new phase of cooperation between Ukraine and USA.

Addressing the Ukrainian and American participants of training, as well as the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt, the Head of State noted that common training of such scale and content was being held in Ukraine for the first time. “The training is being held under unique circumstances. The foreign state has unleashed a full-scale aggression and a multi-level hybrid war against Ukraine on the eastern border of our country,” Petro Poroshenko said.

The President has emphasized that the given war was waged not only against Ukraine. “It is symbolic that on the 70^th anniversary of victory of Anti-Hitler Coalition over Nazism, frontier of civilizational battle for the future of Europe and the world is laid in Ukraine once again,” Petro Poroshenko noted.

“It is a war not only for the independence of Ukraine, but also for the freedom and democracy of Europe and the world. This war will decide whether the rules of the international law will be efficient in the world, whether the borders will be inviolable and integral, whether one can apply force without a reason and without being punished. Can ethnic affinity be a reason for unceremonious interference in the internal affairs of a foreign state? Are authoritarianism and dictatorship compatible with European political culture, the main value of which is a free citizen with his rights of a free state?” the President said.

According to the President, “it is completely natural that strategic partnership between Ukraine and USA acquires new meanings and quantitative parameters”. “It is shown at various levels – from Presidents to soldiers. It is the first Ukrainian-American event of such level, which indicates the transition of bilateral military cooperation to a new practical dimension,” the Head of State emphasized.

Petro Poroshenko cited the words of Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO in 1997-2000 Wesley Clark in two languages: “Ukrainian troops of March 2014 and of March 2015 are completely different stories”. The President also added: “We have a lot of things to be proud of, but we have a lot of things to study as well. It is not an exaggeration to say that a new face of Ukrainian troops is being formed here today,” the Head of State noted.

“I believe that you, descendants of Cossack military glory, will cope with that. I believe that we no other way except victory,” the President said.

The President has presented state awards to the servicemen who demonstrated particular courage and high professionalism in the protection of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine: soldier Ruslan Bondarenko, Colonel Stepan Logush, Lieutenant Colonel Oleksiy Melnyk, Sergeant Roman Petrovskyi and Lieutenant Oleh Vyktiuk.

The President has also presented keys to the new apartments to the servicemen wounded or proved themselves during the ATO.

The President examined the work of the International Peacekeeping and Security Center. The Head of State also had a conversation with American militaries.