long term stainability of u.s. investments and transformation of ukraine military to soviet model to nato interoperable force. the national defense authorization act requires defense to release half of the ukraine security assistance initiative or usai funds, a proisk we find very helpful. a provision. based on recommendations from me and other key d.o.d. advisors, the department of defense and in coordination with department of state certified in may of 2019 ukraine had taken substantial actions to make substantial institutional reforms tore decreasing corruption and increasing accountability and sustained combat capability unquote and the entire 250 million in usdi funds.
ukrainian ministry of defense reform to ensure the long-term sustainability of u.s. investments and the transformation of the ukrainian military from a soviet model to a nato interoperable force. the act requires the department of defense to certify defense reform progress to release half of the ukraine security assistance initiative or usai funds, a provision we find very helpful. based on recommendations from me and other key dod advisers, the department of defense in coordination with the department of state certified in may 2018 that ukraine had, quote, taken substantial actions to make institutional reforms for the purposes of decreasing corruption, increasing accountability and sustaining improvements of combat capability, unquote, meriting obligation of the entire 250 million in usai funds. this brings me to the topic of