Washington plans to cease providing grant military assistance to a number of countries, including Ukraine, replacing it with loans. As told the newspaper The Wall Street Journal, sources in the government, the proposals contained in the draft budget of the USA, who will present on may 23, the administration of Donald trump.
In an internal document of the Department of state, fell into the hands of journalists, indicated that in addition to Ukraine, the assistance can lose also Pakistan, Tunisia, Lebanon, Colombia, the Philippines and Vietnam. In case of approval of the budget by Congress it will allow you to convert to military loans about a billion dollars. It does not cancel the amount of aid to Israel ($3.1 billion), Jordan ($350 million) and Egypt ($1.3 billion).
The note of the foreign Ministry noted that the replacement of grant aid loans will make in need of the state to seek support from third countries, in particular Russia and China.
In September 2016 the house of representatives of the U.S. Congress unanimously approved a law that includes lethal weapons in the list of military aid to Ukraine. In December, it approved the outgoing President Barack Obama.
In the US military budget for this fiscal year is planned to allocate for support of Ukraine in the military sphere $ 150 million. Defined the purposes for which these funds can be spent: training, lethal weapons for defense purposes, machinery and equipment. Against arms shipments to Ukraine was expressed by many European politicians — in particular elected President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that it is risky and counterproductive. Washington supplying Kiev with military equipment, ammunition and equipment, but, despite repeated requests from the Ukrainian authorities, non-lethal weapons.