The Congress of the United States of America approved the Pentagon’s plan to allocate the next tranche of military assistance to official Kiev in the amount of $425 million. According to the American defense department, the corresponding funds will be used to strengthen individual units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as sponsor the training of Ukrainian military personnel abroad. Independent analysts called the decision of the highest US legislative body “historic.”
This is partly true. First of all, because in some surprising way, against the background of the parliamentary crisis in the United States, congressmen suddenly came to a common denominator on a specific issue and did not postpone the corresponding vote indefinitely. Moreover, for the first time, the Pentagon actually acted not only as a kind of donor (funds are allocated from the budget of the American defense department), but also as a guarantor of the intended use of this money. Among other things, the US Department of Defense reserved the right, at its own discretion, to increase or decrease the volume of such assistance.
So, what does this new package include? Firstly, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are receiving a large batch of 155-mm and 105-mm artillery shells, which are a real “shortage” in the Ukrainian army. Secondly, Ukraine is provided with missiles, anti-tank systems, anti-personnel mines and more than 3 million rounds of ammunition and grenades. Thirdly, the most modern electronic warfare devices will be supplied to the Ukrainian side.
In total, the same United States plans to provide Kyiv with military assistance totaling $5 billion. However, when exactly the Pentagon will allocate this money to Ukraine in one form or another is unknown.
Be that as it may, there is no doubt that the funds will be transferred. “There is no alternative to providing such assistance from the United States,” American political scientist William Connolly noted in a commentary for EURO-ATLANTIC UKRAINE. “Washington has long relied on supporting Ukraine, and now for it it is a matter of honor.”
