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Members of the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly endorsed the defense budget bill for fiscal year 2021 on Tuesday. Among other things, the bill also included military assistance to Ukraine and expanded sanctions against the bill. Nord Stream 2.
This is expressed in the explanatory document of the bill on the defense budget.
The bill was supported by 289 of the 431 members of the House of Representatives.
Last week, the US Senate and House of Representatives agreed on their versions of the defense budget bill. Each of the houses of Congress passed its own version of the bill this summer.
The US House of Representatives of Congress approved the provision of military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $ 250 million as part of the US military budget for fiscal year 2021.
The text informs about the provision of 250 million dollars to Ukraine under the Security Assistance Initiative, which will be used to support and assist the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Additionally, the bill includes provisions for tougher US sanctions against Russia’s Nord Stream 2 and Turkish Stream pipeline projects.
In particular, the project provides sanctions to facilitate the sale, lease or supply of laying vessels for the construction of gas pipelines, the provision of insurance and reinsurance, as well as services or facilities for the technical modernization of vessels related to the construction of the gas pipeline.
Additionally, the US defense budget draft for 2021 foresees the introduction of new sanctions against Turkey for its acquisition of Russian S-400 air defense systems.
In particular, the president is ordered to introduce “five or more sanctions” against Turkish officials who participated in the acquisition of the S-400 within 30 days after the signing of the law on defense spending.
Sanctions may be imposed under the Fighting America Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Current law prohibits the sale of F-35 fighters to Turkey because of the deal with Russia.
The bill provides $ 740.5 billion to fund the Pentagon and defense and security programs through the United States Department of Energy.
It was previously reported that the United States may impose new sanctions against Nord Stream 2. According to The Wall Street Journal, Ukrainian lobbies are pushing for this.
Note that the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline was halted in December last year after the imposition of US sanctions.
At the end of November 2020, the United States reached an agreement on the need to introduce new sanctions against the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. The new sanctions, as part of the defense spending bill, could take effect at the end of year.
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