The US House of Representatives approved the country’s defense budget for 2025, but it did not include an extension of the lend-lease program for Ukraine, Ukrainian Ambassador to the US, Oksana Markarova wrote on Facebook on December 12.
She stated that Ukraine’s embassy actively advocated for the continuation of lend-lease provisions. However, the approved bill omitted such measures.
Markarova added that funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) for 2025 had already been allocated in the previous defense budget, amounting to $300 million.
Despite this, the legislation includes several provisions related to Ukraine:
Section 1303: Prohibits the use of any funds for actions that might imply recognition of Russian sovereignty over occupied Ukrainian territories.
Section 1534: Directs the US Secretary of Defense to explore the establishment of a center for advanced weapons development and AI systems improvement. This center would facilitate Pentagon cooperation with international partners, including Ukraine.
Section 6411: Mandates that the Director of National Intelligence, the Secretary of State, and the Treasury Secretary submit reports to Congressional committees on Russia’s funding of acts of international terrorism.
US President Joe Biden signed the Ukraine Lend-Lease Act into law on May 9, 2022. This document significantly accelerated the supply of weapons, transportation, food, and other assistance on a lease or free of charge basis from the United States to Ukraine.
The last time the lend-lease program was used was during World War II. Back then, the United States supplied the Allies with ammunition, equipment, and other necessary raw materials and food to fight Nazi Germany.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the United States is training a new brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Germany.
In addition, the US Department of State approved the sale of life-support systems and other critical equipment for F-16 multi-role fighter jets to Ukraine. The potential value of the package is approximately $266.4 million.
