US Congress approves $620.7 million for Ukraine
The House of Representatives of the U.S. Congress approved the Consolidated Appropriations Act for 2018, which provides for $620.7 million in support of Ukraine, as reported on Facebook on March 22 by the Ukrainian embassy in the U.S.
The diplomatic department noted that the law increased the amount allocated to support Ukraine.
“So, according to the Pentagon’s bill, $200 million are allocated to provide military-technical assistance to Ukraine, which is $50 million more than the appropriations in 2017,” the embassy reported.
Indications are that these funds will be used to finance U.S.-supported projects for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, among them military training, military weapons and equipment, lethal defensive weapons, other military equipment and services, logistic support and intelligence support for the Ukrainian armed forces and security forces.
The amount of aid provided to Ukraine through the U.S. Department of State and related agencies is estimated at $420.7 million, which is $10 million more than the corresponding expenditures of 2017. The increased funding is aimed at strengthening support for Ukraine’s security under the International Military Financing program.
The embassy noted that draft before bill becomes law, it must be approved by Congress – both the Senate and the House of Representatives – and then signed by the U.S. president.
On December 12, 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump signed the country’s defense budget for the 2018 financial year, providing for $350 million in assistance to Ukraine’s military.