Washington. November 25. INTERFAX - US Senators Republican Rob Portman and Democrat Gene Shaheen insist on increasing the supply of lethal weapons to Kiev amid reports of an alleged accumulation of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine.
Portman and Shaheen propose to allocate $350 million to the Pentagon in fiscal year 2022 to provide military assistance to Ukraine.
Their proposed amendments to the defense budget increase military assistance to Ukraine by $100 million compared to the amount requested by the Joe Biden administration.
At the same time, $125 million of them, compared with the previous $75 million, is proposed to be allocated for the purchase of "lethal" funds.
"I urge the administration to provide further assistance in the form of anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons, which will be vital to deter this latest Russian threat," said a statement posted on Portman's official website.
"We must do everything possible to support our ally Ukraine at this time," he said.
"I urge the Senate to vote for an amendment increasing the total amount of aid to Ukraine and authorizing a higher percentage of spending on lethal weapons, which I propose together with Senator Jeanne Shaheen to the defense budget for fiscal year 2022," Portman added.
Earlier, CNN, citing informed sources, reported that the administration of US President Joe Biden is considering sending military advisers and weapons to Ukraine due to Russia's alleged buildup of forces near the Ukrainian border.
