US State Department refuses to comment on media reports of a military grant for Ukraine
The State Department refused to comment on media reports that Washington could provide Ukraine with a $47-million grant for the purchase of arms from the US. "We do not comment on possible or an anticipated transaction before Congress is notified about them," a representative of the Department of State told TASS news agency on Saturday.
Earlier, ABC news reported that advisors of US President Donald Trump could urge him to provide Kyiv with a $47-million grant, which would allow the Ukrainian government to purchase American defensive weapons for use in the conflict in the Ukrainian southeast. The idea to provide a grant is actively supported by the State Department and the US Department of Defense.
ABC claims that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Pentagon Chief James Mattis have been discussing this issue since June. The delivery may include anti-tank systems. However, the sale of such equipment to other countries requires permission from the President and Congress.
ABC’s sources in the State Department believe that the final decision is unlikely to be made during Trump’s extended visit to Asia.
Lawmakers are unlikely to object to the measure. Over the past few years, Congress has consistently included an article on providing military assistance to Ukraine into the defense budget, authorizing the use of these funds to transfer "lethal means" of support to Kyiv.
A similar article is also envisaged in the National Defense Authorization Act for the 2018 fiscal year, which is now being agreed by the Senate and the House of Representatives. "We have been asking for it [the supply of weapons to Ukraine] for a long time," an employee of the staff of the U.S. House Committee on Armed Services said earlier in an interview with a TASS news agency.