© REUTERS/ Mikhail Palinchak/Ukrainian Presidential Press Service
According to a newly released draft budget, the measure is included in a $700 billion defense policy bill approved by both Senate and House Armed Services Committees on Wednesday.
The legislation "authorizes $350 million to provide security assistance to Ukraine, including defensive lethal assistance," the document said.
"The legislation restricts half of these funds until the Secretary of Defense certifies that Ukraine has taken substantial action to make defense institutional reforms critical to sustaining capabilities developed using security assistance," it noted.
Comment: In other words, how good is Kiev in following NATO's dictates.
Lethal aid could provide Ukraine with anti-tank weapons and possibly anti-aircraft arms, according to published reports.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that any decision by the United States to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine would fuel the conflict in the country's east, an argument voiced by former President Barack Obama in rejecting similar proposals.
Comment: When people look back in history at this time, and see how much the US government spent its people's money supporting war and war criminals, they will be wondering how we allowed our leaders to manifest such an extreme degree of delusion and malevolence as the above article indicates.
From last year: Saving Poroshenko? US State Dept offers $800k to Ukraine NGOs, Congress to give $350 million military aid