September 29, 2017
The United States and Ukraine conducted the first United States-Ukraine Bilateral Cyber Dialogue in Kyiv, Ukraine, on September 29, 2017. As a demonstration of the U.S. commitment to supporting cybersecurity in Ukraine, U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch announced at the dialogue that the United States would provide over $5 million in new cyber assistance to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to prevent, mitigate, and respond to cyberattacks. The dialogue strengthened whole-of-government bilateral cooperation on cybersecurity and cyber policy matters. Recognizing the important nature of cyber threats, participants shared approaches on organizing cybersecurity policy structures and cyber incident response procedures. They discussed ways to protect critical infrastructure and military systems, and exchanged views on cyber confidence building efforts at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Participants also reviewed on-going U.S. cyber assistance efforts in Ukraine.
Both sides also affirmed their commitment to an internet that is open, interoperable, reliable, and secure. They also expressed a shared concern that the most serious malicious cyber activities have the potential to undermine peace, prosperity, and the stability of the international community.
The U.S. delegation was led by Special Assistant to the President and National Security Council Senior Director for International Cybersecurity Policy Joshua Steinman, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Cyber and International Communications and Information Policy Robert Strayer, and Deputy Coordinator for Cyber Issues at the Department of State Michele Markoff. The U.S. delegation also included representatives from the Departments of State, Treasury, Defense, Justice, Energy, and Homeland Security, as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Ukrainian delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko and included representatives from the National Bank of Ukraine, Ministry of Defense, National Security and Defense Council, State Security Services of Ukraine, State Service for Special Communication and Information Protection, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
