The U.S. presidential administration in its draft budget for the 2018 fiscal year foresees providing Ukraine with $350 million in assistance to cover various programs.
The sum would fund programs in the security sector, as well as U.S. State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) programs.
U.S. State Department and USAID assistance programs for 2018 account for almost $204 million. They are budgeted for health, economic development and structural reform programs in Ukraine.
Some $150 million is earmarked for military and security programs. The funds would be spent on military training, equipment, consulting Ukrainian military commanders, as well as strengthening the potential of Ukraine to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In addition, military supplies, including uniforms and other equipment, logistics gear and reconnaissance support for Ukraine’s military would be provided. The draft budget also leaves open the possibility of supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine, an item missing from past U.S. administration budget proposals.
The draft consolidated budget for 2018 proposes to increase Foreign Military Financing (FMF) for countries of Europe, Asia and Africa by $450 million. Ukraine would be eligible to receive some of that money.
In general, the U.S. presidential administration’s budget expenditures for European and Asian countries would be cut by 60 percent compared to the 2017 fiscal year budget. Ukraine this year accounts for more than 45 percent of all countries in the region.
The U.S. fiscal years starts Oct. 1 and runs through Sept. 30, 2018.
