US Senate passes record defense budget of $886 billion
Kyiv • UNN
The U.S. Senate passes a $886 billion defense budget, a 3% increase over last year, with significant bipartisan support and provisions for a $300 million aid package to Ukraine through 2026.
Members of the U.S. Senate have backed a bill that would allocate a record $886 billion for defense, up 3% from last year, Reuters reports, UNN writes.
Details
The US Senate has passed a record $886 billion defense policy bill, up 3% from last year. The National Defense Authorization Bill was passed with significant support from both Democrats and Republicans.
It is noted that the approved bill will also allow for higher salaries for the military, purchase of ammunition and aircraft, and will be used to help Ukraine.
The bill also provides for the allocation of $300 million to Ukraine by the end of 2026.
Last year, the U.S. Senate approved an $858 billion defense budget for the next year.
"However, this figure is tiny compared to the $61 billion in aid to Ukraine that Biden has asked Congress to approve to help Kyiv as it fights a Russian invasion that began in February 2022," the publication notes.
To recap
The US Senate blocked an emergency spending bill to provide billions of dollars in security assistance to Ukraine and Israel as Republicans insisted on their demands for stricter immigration controls on the US-Mexico border.
Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova stated that the US Senate would reintroduce the emergency aid bill for Ukraine.
