The United States House of Representatives has approved an amendment to the 2023 defense budget bill to train Ukrainian pilots on F-15 and F-16 fighter jets amid the unfolding crisis in Ukraine.
The United States House of Representatives has approved an amendment to the 2023 defense budget bill to train Ukrainian F-15 and F-16 fighter jet pilots amid the unfolding crisis in Ukraine, Ukrainian presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak said. Friday.
The training program for Ukrainian pilots will cost US$100 million, Yermak said, adding that the bill must be approved by the US Senate and later signed by US President Joe Biden to take effect. According to reports from Ukraine’s Xinhua News Agency, Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova said the US Defense Budget Bill 2023 provides for $1 billion in security assistance to Ukraine in fiscal year 2023, which runs from October 1, 2022 to September 30 2023.
U.S. security aid to Ukraine has turned out to be more than $6.1 billion since Russia launched a “brutal, unprovoked, all-out invasion” of Ukraine on February 24.
Condemning Russia’s “premeditated, unprovoked, unwarranted and brutal war” in Ukraine earlier, Blinken said the US would continue to provide Ukraine with weapons for defense and a steady flow of US security assistance from the more than 40-member coalition. Allies and partners will continue to strengthen Ukraine’s defenses as well as improve its ability to defend its sovereign territory and secure hard-fought victories on the battlefield.
“We have imposed swift and severe sanctions on the Russian economy and the elite of President Putin’s regime. We have strengthened NATO’s ability to deter and defend against any Russian aggression on its eastern flank. And we will continue to provide critical military capabilities to the brave Ukrainians.” defenders,” he said in an official statement.
In addition, Washington, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), in coordination with the US Treasury Department, also contributed $1.7 billion in budget aid to Ukraine as part of President Joe Biden’s commitment to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
This contribution was made possible with generous support from both sides of Congress. These resources have helped the Ukrainian government continue to perform key functions – such as maintaining gas and electricity supplies to hospitals, schools and other critical infrastructure, supporting the delivery of humanitarian supplies to citizens, and continuing to pay salaries to civil servants and teachers.
Since the full Russian invasion of Ukraine, USAID has been working closely with humanitarian partners in the country and the region to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians. The aid also augments critical development assistance to respond to cyber-attacks and threats to the energy sector, counter disinformation, support small businesses and agriculture, document human rights abuses, meet basic health needs, and ensure the continued functioning of local and national government entities in war-torn country.
On February 24, Russia launched a “special military operation” in Ukraine, which the West called an unprovoked war. As a result, Western countries have also imposed several crippling sanctions on Moscow.