The US Congress approved a draft defense budget for 2024 worth a record $886 billion
Of this amount, $800 million is earmarked for Ukraine - the implementation of these funds is expected to take 2 to 5 years
More than two-thirds of the members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted on Thursday in favor of the Defense Authorization Bill for Fiscal Year 2024 (the year began on October 1). The bill provides for a record $886 billion in military spending and authorizes measures such as assistance to Ukraine and countering China in the Indo-Pacific region, the BBC reports.
A day earlier, the bill was approved by the US Senate. It will now go to President Joe Biden for his signature. The White House previously reported that the president intends to approve this document.
The bill provides for $800 million in aid to Ukraine (or 0.09% of the total budget). Of this amount, $300 million is to be spent under the U.S. Security Assistance Initiative (USAI).
This channel is designed to provide military assistance to Ukraine in the medium and long term – it involves contracts between the Pentagon and manufacturers, rather than providing weapons directly from the Defense Ministry's stockpiles.
These contracts are to be implemented for a period of two to five years.
In addition, the bill provides another $300 million for the same purpose in fiscal year 2025.
This year's nearly 3,100-page bill is a record for appropriations: it is 3% more than the same bill last year.
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