Trump Approved the Defense Budget with $ 250 mln for Security Assistance to Ukraine

U.S. President Donald Trump signed the defense policy bill for 2019 on Monday, the ceremony was held at the Army’s Fort Drum (New York). Earlier, the $ 717 billion draft defense budget for the 2019 fiscal year was approved by the U.S. Senate. The American media noted that the draft budget in particular includes allocation of funds to counter the influence of Russia. It also suspends the delivery of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to Turkey until the Pentagon gives a report on the purchase of Russian S-400 SAMs by Ankara. Measures against Russia include putting into service of new types of low-power nuclear weapons, financing of US military presence in Eastern Europe, and Washington’s assistance to its allies in reducing their dependence on Russia. In addition, the bill prohibits the US administration and its contractors from dealing with Chinese companies ZTE Corporation and Huawei Technologies, which the authors of the document consider a threat to the national security of the United States. “This National Defense Authorization Act builds on the progress we made earlier this year in the bipartisan budget agreement, which provided for the largest year-on-year increase in funding for American armed forces in 15 years”, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said earlier. The National Defense Authorization Act  for 2019 authorizes the allocation to the U.S. Department of Defense of $250 million for the provision of security assistance to Ukraine, including $50 million for lethal weapons. The document includes the main provisions of the draft Act on Ukraine Cybersecurity Cooperation, which, inter alia, provides assistance to Ukraine in strengthening the capabilities to protect from cyber-attacks, ensuring the security of computer networks of public authorities, reducing dependence on Russian information and communication technologies, promoting participation in information exchange programs. The document also reaffirms the commitment of the United States to the U.S.–Ukraine Charter on Strategic Partnership and the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, as well as U.S. support to cooperation between NATO and Ukraine. Source: Interfax.ua