US May Allocate $125Mln In Military Aid To Ukraine In January - Ukraine's Parliament

The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, said Wednesday that the US Congress would consider the matter of providing $125 million in military assistance to Kiev in January 2019.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th December, 2018) The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, said Wednesday that the US Congress would consider the matter of providing $125 million in military assistance to Kiev in January 2019.

According to the parliament's press service, this was announced during a meeting between US Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker and Verkhovna Rada Chairman Andriy Parubiy.

"The special representative said that in January 2019, the US Congress will consider the matter of allocating the next $125 million military aid package to Ukraine half of the aid for the next year," the statement said.

According to the press service, Volker said during the meeting that the United States would like to support Ukraine in its intention to strengthen the country's defenses at sea and coastline and enhance its air defenses.

Volker said on Monday that Washington would make announcements and notify the Congress of the possibility of additional weapon deliveries to Ukraine in the coming months.

In 2017, US President Donald Trump's administration approved weapons deliveries to Ukraine, including Javelin portable anti-tank missile systems. The previous administration did not do this, despite Ukraine's repeated requests for US armaments.

In 2018, Ukraine received $40 million worth of lethal weapons and other military equipment from the United States, Lithuania, the United Kingdom and Canada.

Moscow has repeatedly warned against supplying weapons to Ukraine, saying that this would result in an escalation of the military conflict in the country's eastern Donbas region, ongoing since 2014. This stance has also been supported by a number of European officials.