Bill on $1 billion military aid to Ukraine submitted to US Congress

A bill on providing Ukraine with $1 billion in military aid, including supplies of weapons, has been submitted to the US Congress, a representative of the US legislature told TASS on Friday.
Under the bill, "the Secretary of Defense is authorized, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to provide assistance, including training, equipment, lethal weapons of a defensive nature, logistics support, supplies and services, and sustainment to the military and national security forces of Ukraine through September 30, 2017."
The bill has been introduced by Adam Smith and Mac Thornberry, both members of the House of Representatives. The document has been signed by another 28 parliamentarians.
The authors say the goal of the assistance is to help Kiev secure its "sovereign territory against foreign aggressors" and promote "the conditions for a negotiated settlement to end the conflict."

In early February a group of Republican senators presented to the US congress a bill empowering the president to supply armaments to the government of Ukraine. The document was registered in the electronic data base of the US Congress.
Many prominent politicians have criticized US intentions of sending weapons to Ukraine after media publications saying the US government is considering sending Javelin anti-tank missiles, small arms and munitions to Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin in mid-February said Russia has information that Ukraine is already receiving weapons from abroad. Putin said he is certain the arms supplies will only make the number of victims of the conflict in eastern Ukraine grow, though the result will remain the same. "The overwhelming majority of Ukraine’s troops don’t want to take part in the fratricidal war, far away from their own homes, but the Donbas militias are determined to defend their families," he said.