The white house has submitted a draft Federal budget of the United States in the 2018 financial year, which envisages, in particular, assistance to Ukraine in different programs totaling about $350 million.
In particular, the document envisages means of Ukraine on the programme of assistance in the military sphere and the security sphere, and also within programs of the state Department and the U.S. Agency for international development (USAID).
In accordance with the promulgated budget request, for fiscal year 2018 the total amount of funds for programmes of assistance to Ukraine on the line of the state Department and USAID accounts for almost $204 million of These funds provided for the implementation of programmes in the health sector, support economic growth and promote structural reforms in Ukraine.
Separately, the Ministry of defense earmarked assistance to Ukraine in the field of defense and security by $150 million According to the budget request, these funds will be used for the training, equipping and advising the Ukrainian military personnel, as well as strengthening the capacity of Ukraine to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In addition, we are talking about the provision of military vehicles and equipment, other equipment and services for military purpose, logistics, intelligence support of the Armed forces and security forces of Ukraine. The document also includes the possibility of granting Ukraine lethal weapons for defense purposes, which was not in previous budgets of the United States.
A draft consolidated budget for 2018 is proposed to increase the funding of programmes “of the International military financing” (Foreign Military Financing, FMF) to countries in Europe, Asia and Africa worth up to $450 million, which can also be allocated to help Ukraine.
In General, the draft Federal budget envisages a reduction in all aid programmes from the US to Europe and Asia for 60%. Part of Ukraine in the current draft is more than 45% of the total us aid to countries in the region.
Further, the budget request needs to go through the study and discussion in the us Congress where it is subject to changes and additions. Thus, the real volume of aid to Ukraine will be known after the completion of the entire process of the document, which is now in its initial stages.
Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Valeriy Chaly, commenting on the budget request, said that the important is the presence in the text of the provision on granting Ukraine lethal weapons. “We should emphasize that the budget proposed by the Administration includes a provision to our state lethal weapons for defense purposes, which compares favorably to requests of the Administration in previous years”, – said the Ambassador.
Chaly also noted that the positive is the increased funding for FMF programs for the countries of Europe, Asia and Africa, where Ukraine has high chances to get additional help.
He added that the Ukrainian Embassy in USA Ukrainian diplomats will work hard to ensure that the result was the document, which will be more profitable for Ukraine than the original.
