US House approves $100m in defence budget to train Ukrainian pilots to fly American jets

Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, the chief of the Ukrainian President’s Office, Andriy Yermak revealed that the United States House of Representatives has authorised an amendment for the defence budget bill for 2023 to train Ukrainian pilots on F-15 and F-16 fighter planes. In the midst of the spiraling situation in the war-torn nation, Ukrainian officials have verified that as a part of the National Defense Authorization Act, the US House of Representatives authorised $100 million for the training of Ukrainian pilots to fly American aircraft, The Guardian reported.  

Yermak further added that in order for the proposed law to take effect, it must first be approved by the US Senate and then signed by US President Joe Biden. 

According to a Xinhua report, Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian ambassador to the US, stated that Ukraine will get $1 billion in security assistance from the US in the fiscal year 2023, which runs from October 1 to September 30.  

US aid to Ukraine

Since Russia began its "brutal, unprovoked, full-scale invasion" of Ukraine on February 24, the US has provided over USD 6.1 billion in security aid to the war-torn country. 

Furthermore, as part of US President Joe Biden's pledge to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Washington provided USD 1.7 billion through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in collaboration with the US Department of the Treasury. 

This commitment has been made possible due to the bipartisan support of Congress. With the aid of these resources, the Ukrainian government has been able to continue performing its fundamental duties, such as maintaining the supply of gas and electricity to hospitals, schools, and other vital infrastructure, assisting in the distribution of humanitarian aid to the populace, and continuing to pay the wages of civil servants and teachers, ANI reported. 

Previously, the US House of Representatives had passed legislation in April that relaxed the requirements for defence equipment lend-lease accords with war-torn Ukraine and other nations in Eastern Europe, opening the door for additional US armaments to reach the area. By a vote of 417 to 10, the House approved the law, sending it to US President Joe Biden for signature, according to media sources. In April, the proposal was overwhelmingly adopted by the Senate. 

According to a formal summary of the legislation, “This bill temporarily waives certain requirements related to the President's authority to lend or lease defense articles if the defense articles are intended for Ukraine's government or the governments of other Eastern European countries affected by Russia's invasion of Ukraine". 

(Image: AP/ Unsplash)