The U.S. Senate approved on Aug. 1 its 2019 national
defense budget, which includes USD 250 mln in military financing for Ukraine,
the Ukrainian Embassy in the U.S. said on its Facebook page. The funds include
USD 50 mln for lethal weapons, the statement said. The budget has been approved
by the U.S. House of Representatives and awaits the signature of U.S. President
Trump. The bill includes legislation on cooperating with Ukraine on combating
cyberattacks.
Zenon Zawada: Trump has
initiated the policy of providing Ukraine with lethal defensive weapons, which
we believe is part of a strategy of strengthening Ukraine while trying to find
common points of agreement with Russia on foreign policy issues. We expect this
strategy will be extended during Trump’s tenure.