Ukrainian diplomats are actively working with U.S. Congress to extend the Lend-Lease Act for another year, Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova said on television on July 10.
Markarova named the draft law on the military budget as one of the main priorities of Ukraine's diplomacy in the U.S.
"It is in this military budget where we fight for, firstly, the continuation of the (Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, USAI)...and also so that the Lend-Lease Act is extended in this military budget for a year," the ambassador commented, "so that this opportunity, this tool will also be available if we run out of grant programs."
U.S. President Joe Biden signed Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act in May 2022 to streamline American weapons supplies for Kyiv, evoking a similar support program between the U.S. and the U.K. during World War II.
The Pentagon-led funding program USAI was launched even before the start of the full-scale invasion in June 2020 to bolster Ukraine's defense capabilities in terms of training, equipment, and advisory initiatives.
Anna Myroniuk
