Adding to potential controversy surrounding the Trump Administration’s handling of Ukrainian military aid, Pentagon officials say they intend to seek another $250 million in 2020 for lethal military aid to the Ukraine.
Undersecretary of Defense John Rood said that the aid was pending Congressional authorization. The House military spending bill has $250 million set aside for this, and the Senate version seeks to make that $300 million. Congress is emphasizing it as “mainly to push back on Russian aggression.”
Rood wasn’t clear what the lethal aid would involve, saying it would be for “the variety of things envisioned for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.” Other officials suggested it would include anti-armor weapons.
Lethal weapons are broadly sent to Ukraine with the vision of using them against ethnic Russian separatists in the far east. With other nations trying to help Ukraine negotiate a deal to end that situation peacefully, the US keeps pouring weapons into the Ukraine, envisioning a proxy war with Russia that they can keep fueling.
Trump Seeks Another $250 Million in Lethal Aid for Ukraine
Pentagon wants to 'worth with our Ukrainian colleagues'
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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