US senators support continued military support for Ukraine

The US Senate has supported increasing security assistance to Ukraine to $750 million. The relevant decision was made by the Armed Services Committee during the consideration of the draft defense budget for the next fiscal year.

Reuters reports this.

The money is planned to be sent through the USAI program, under which weapons, ammunition, and military equipment are purchased for Ukraine from American manufacturers.

In addition to funding, senators included a provision in the document that prohibits the use of Pentagon funds for any steps that could be construed as recognition of Russian control over the occupied territories of Ukraine.

The bill also provides for continued intelligence support for the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

As Reuters notes, this decision demonstrates that support for Ukraine remains in the US Congress, despite political disputes over further aid to Kyiv.

However, there is no word yet on the final allocation of funds. The document still needs to be considered by the full Senate and House of Representatives. After that, lawmakers must agree on the final version of the bill and send it to the US president for signature.

If the document is adopted in its current form, the amount of funding for the USAI program will increase to $750 million.

Overall, the Senate version of the US defense budget for next year envisages spending of about $1.15 trillion. It includes both funding for the US armed forces and support for US partners, including Ukraine.