U.S. Senate suggests increasing aid to Ukraine in 2020 defense budget up to $300 mln – Embassy
The U.S. Senate suggests increasing up to $300 million and significantly expand assistance to Ukraine's security sector in the U.S. defense budget for 2020, the Ukrainian Embassy to U.S. said on Thursday.
"The U.S. Senate Armed Forces Committee has approved a draft National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2020, which authorized the Pentagon to allocate $300 million to provide security assistance to Ukraine, which is $50 million more than the current year's appropriations. Of this amount, $100 million should be directed solely at lethal types of weapons," it said on Facebook.
According to the document, it is proposed to expand the U.S assistance in strengthening the defense capability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by incorporating coastal defenses and anti-ship missiles.
The law on the 2020 U.S. budget for the needs of national defense will come into force after its adoption by the Senate and the House of Representatives and after it is signed by the president of the United States.
"We thank the Senate Armed Forces Committee for an important decision aimed at enhancing the security and defense of the U.S. assistance to the Ukrainian state in the fight against Russian aggression, which is continuing," added Ukrainian diplomats.