US Senate committee calls for $750M in security aid for Ukraine

The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday said it voted to extend U.S. security assistance for Ukraine and increase authorized funding to $750 million.

According to Reuters, it marks the latest pushback from Congress against the Trump administration's pullback on aid for Kyiv as it fights a Russian invasion, Ukrinform reports.

The Republican-majority panel said it had completed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an annual bill setting policy for the Pentagon, that included $750 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which pays U.S. companies ⁠for weapons for Ukraine's military.

The Senate text announced on Thursday also prohibits funds authorized by the NDAA from being obligated or expended to implement any activity that recognizes the sovereignty of Russia over the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine, and directs the Department to provide intelligence support to Kyiv for the purpose of supporting military operations to defend or take back that territory.

Read also: Canada continues support for Ukraine despite Russian threats, defense minister says

The Senate panel released its bill a week after the House of Representatives passed legislation to provide aid to Ukraine and impose new sanctions on Russia.

The massive Senate bill, which supports a total of $1.15 trillion for defense, remains several steps away from becoming law. Now that the House and Senate panels have approved their bills, they must be approved separately by the full House and Senate. After that, members of the two committees must agree on a compromise version of the bill, which ⁠must then pass the House and Senate before being sent to the White House for Trump to sign into law or veto.it.

The House committee's version of the NDAA also backed Trump's desire – opposed by Democrats – to change the name of the Department of Defense to Department of ⁠War.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier that the process of approving $400 million in military aid to Ukraine was expected to be completed soon.

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