(AP) – Ukraine is considering leaving some weaponry behind in Iraq after the withdrawal of its troops from the country, the Ukrainian defense minister said Nov. 7 during a two-day visit to Iraq to discuss the pullout, according to the ministry in Kyiv.
Defense Minister Anatoliy Grytsenko told Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jafaari during a meeting that Ukraine might donate part of the peacekeepers’ weaponry to the Iraqi military after the Ukrainians leave the country, a ministry statement said, adding that Grytsenko had not specified the type of weaponry that might be left.
Earlier, Grytsenko had said Ukraine’s 800 remaining troops in Iraq would be withdrawn by Dec. 30, following Iraqi elections scheduled for Dec. 15.
Ukraine began withdrawing troops in March, and President Viktor Yushchenko had long promised they would be out by the year’s end.
Ukraine initially sent 1,650 troops to Iraq, becoming the fourth-largest contingent in the U.S.-led military operation, but the move was highly unpopular.Also during the visit, Grytsenko and Iraqi counterpart Saadoun al-Dulaimi signed an agreement to boost bilateral cooperation between the defense ministries, and discussed Ukraine’s possible role in training Iraqi soldiers.
