Proposed U.S. military aid to Ukraine may be cut in half
The United States House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations prepared a draft defense budget that promises to allocate $150 million to support the armed forces of Ukraine, according to a document posted on the House of Representatives website.
The project proposal states that the money must be spent on training, equipment, lethal defensive weapons, logistics and intelligence. A separate paragraph makes clear that the funds allocated to Ukraine cannot be spent on the purchase or transfer of man-portable air defense systems to Kyiv.
In 2016, the U.S. defense budget allocated $300 million for military support to Ukraine. According to the new document, that assistance should be reduced to half of the original amount. The proposed bill must be deliberated by the House of Representatives and be approved by the U.S. President.
Earlier, on February 2, the head of the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, John McCain proposed to President Donald Trump that the U.S. should provide Ukraine with lethal weapons.