Euan McDonald: US preparing expansion of military assistance to Ukraine Kyiv, July 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) – 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 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. Presidents National Security Council announced the allocation of $5 million for Ukraines 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 OFACs SDN List: Deputy Chairman of Russias 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.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 09:09:22 +0000
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