Biden signs defense budget with $800M in aid for Ukraine

23.12.2022 21:19

Ukrinform

U.S. President Joe Biden has signed into law an act that allocates funding for the U.S. national defense and which provides, among other things, $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine.

The U.S. leader said this in a statement published on the White House's website on Friday, Ukrinform reports.

"Today, I have signed into law H.R. 7776, the 'James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023'," Biden said.

The document authorizes fiscal year appropriations for the Department of Defense, for Department of Energy national security programs, and for the Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, and the Intelligence Community.

According to Biden, the Act, among other things, "includes critical authorities to support our country's national defense, foreign affairs, and homeland security."

In this regard, the Pentagon said the Act authorizes the full fiscal year 2023 budget request for the European Deterrence Initiative and extends and modifies the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.

"It [the Act] authorizes $800 million in fiscal year 2023, an increase of $500 million above the initial budget request," the Department of Defense said.

In addition, the document allocates $6 billion for the European Deterrence Initiative, a program started in 2014 after Russia's attempted annexation of Crimea.

Photo: twitter.com/POTUS