On Thursday, the US House of Representatives approved the country’s 2023 defense budget of $840 billion.
329 deputies voted for the draft budget against 101 against.
The project provides for the allocation of $808.4 billion to the Pentagon, $30.5 billion to the Department of Energy and about $400 million to finance the activities of other federal defense agencies.
Under the bill, Congress intends to allocate $4 billion to fund the Deterrence of Russia Initiative in Europe, extend restrictions on Pentagon cooperation with the Russian Defense Ministry for another year, and reduce the dependence of US bases in Europe on energy from Russia. before completely eliminating it at a later time.
The draft budget provides for the allocation of funds to replenish the American arsenal and the arsenals of Washington’s allies after providing their weapons to Ukraine, as well as funding for the training of demining specialists to send them to Ukraine and some other countries.
Kyiv may receive $1 billion in the next fiscal year as part of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
The draft budget includes coordination with the Pentagon Inspector General of the course of providing military assistance to Kyiv.
Before voting on the draft budget, the deputies discussed some amendments to it, including an agreement to tighten standards and requirements regarding the supply of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey.
The US Senate is expected to approve its own draft US defense budget, after which the appropriate committee will meet to merge the two drafts and agree on the details of the final draft.
Both houses of Congress will then have to ratify the omnibus bill again before it gets to President Joe Biden’s signature.
Source: TASS