For the first time Ukraine asks to buy weapons from US
For the first time, Ukraine has asked to purchase weapons from the US, the US Embassy to Ukraine reported.
“I am pleased to announce that, for the first time, Ukraine has asked to purchase military equipment through the US Defense Department’s sale program. We are starting the process of considering this request. The US adamantly takes the stance of supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and the reformation of its defense sector,” said US Chargé d’Affaires for Ukraine William Taylor.
Ukraine has allocated 11.5 billion hryvnia (around $446 million) for purchasing and upgrading military equipment in 2019. With this money, the country plans to acquire more than 600 vehicles, 600 items of communication equipment, more than 270 missile and artillery weapons, more than 200 armored vehicles, 3,000 firearms, as well as other equipment and weapons.
In autumn 2017, BuzzFeed reported with reference to a source in the US government that Trump does not want to give Ukraine weapons for free.
Shortly thereafter, US Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker said that the military assistance program for Ukraine envisages both the donation and the sale of weapons.
In June 2019, the US Senate voted to significantly expand the policy of security assistance for Ukraine in the 2020 defense budget and to increase its budget to $300 million.