The U.S. Congress is preparing for the final adoption of the bill foreseeing the possibility of expanding military and technical aid to Ukraine due to Russian aggression.
According to a posting on Thursday, July 17 on the Web site of Congress, the
document passed at two readings was submitted to the U.S. House
Committee on Foreign Affairs for preparation for final approval.
The document, in particular, delegates the right to the U.S.
president to provide defense, services and training to Ukraine at the
request of the Ukrainian government, taking into account the needs of
the Ukrainian Army. The military assistance includes supplies of
antitank, anti-aircraft and small arms and ammunition; armored vehicles,
wheeled multi-purpose vehicles, inflatable boats and body armor.
The United States had earlier signaled its willingness to render
military-technological assistance to Ukraine. U.S. Vice President Joseph
Biden had said while visiting Kyiv in April that Washington would
provide some $20 million to Ukraine for its security forces.
In April Republicans drew up a bill proposing more efficient measures
for influencing Russia due to its position on Ukraine. The document
submitted to the Senate foresaw measures to strengthen NATO, accelerate
the placement of ballistic missile defense systems in Europe and the
imposing of sanctions against the banking and energy sectors of the
Russian economy. The bill included an initiative to provide military
assistance of $100 million to Ukraine, including supplies of antitank
defense, anti-aircraft guns and small arms.
In June, the U.S. President’s National Security Council has announced
the allocation of $5 million for Ukraine’s primary needs amid the
ongoing armed conflict in the southeastern part of the country – body
armor, night vision goggles and additional communications equipment.
On July 16, 2014, U.S. President Barack Obama said that the U.S.
administration had strengthened sanctions against Russia: towards
Russian defense, energy companies and financial institutions.
On the U.S. Sectoral Sanctions Identification List are Gazprombank,
Vnesheconombank, Novatek company, Rosneft oil company, Almaz-Antey,
Bazalt Federal State Unitary Enterprise State Research and Production
Enterprise, Sozvezdie Concern, NPO Mashinostroyenia, Kalashnikov
Concern, KBP Instrument Design Bureau, Radio-Electronic Technologies,
and Uralvagonzavod and Feodosiya (oil terminal) enterprise.
In addition, the following five individuals were added to OFAC’s SDN
List: Deputy Chairman of Russia’s State Duma Sergei Neverov, Aide to the
President of Russia Igor Shchegolev, Minister for Crimean Affairs Oleg
Savelyev, Commander of the Service for Operational Information and
International Communications of the FSB, FSB Colonel General Sergey
Beseda, and DPR leader Alexander Borodai.
