U.S. approves defense budget — important provisions for Ukraine
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved the National Defense Authorization Act for 2025, which includes some provisions to help Ukraine. The decision was supported by 281 congressmen, with 140 lawmakers voting against, including 16 Republicans and 124 Democrats. Now the document should be considered in the Senate, which is expected next week.
This was reported by Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Oksana Makarova.
What is known about the U.S. defense budget in the context of Ukraine
The draft law contains important provisions related to support for Ukraine.
It is known that it provides for the extension of the ban on the recognition of Russian sovereignty over the occupied regions of Ukraine (Article 1303). It is prohibited to use any funds for actions that could lead to the recognition of Russian control over the occupied territories.
It is also planned to develop weapons systems using artificial intelligence (Article 1534). The U.S. Secretary of Defense is instructed to consider the possibility of establishing a center of excellence to support the development of artificial intelligence-based systems. The center will facilitate U.S. cooperation with international partners, including Ukraine, to develop standards and best practices.
In addition, the law provides for the organization of an investigation into the financing of acts of international terrorism by the Russian Federation (Article 6411). The Director of National Intelligence, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of the Treasury are to prepare a report for the relevant congressional committees on the financing of terrorist acts by Russia. The report will be unclassified, but with possible classified annexes.
How much money can Ukraine receive in 2025
It is also noted that the NDAA provides $300 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) for fiscal year 2025, which was agreed upon in the previous version of the budget.
However, the bill approved by the House of Representatives does not contain a provision to extend the Ukraine Democracy Assistance Act. Nevertheless, the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States continues to advocate for the preservation of this mechanism as part of the bipartisan Stand with Ukraine Act, according to Makarova.
As a reminder, the Pentagon has named a priority area for assistance to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers have demanded that intelligence agencies provide forecasts of America's security in the event that aid to Ukraine is cut off and Russia potentially wins the war. Recently, the U.S. Treasury Department announced the transfer of $20 billion of frozen Russian assets to Ukraine.