U.S. Senator John McCain has long been a staunch supporter of Ukraine / Photo by UNIAN
The Committee on Armed Services in the U.S. Senate may soon be led by U.S. President Barack Obama's rival at the presidential elections of 2008 and a strong supporter of Ukraine - the Republican Senator John McCain, Ukraine’s TSN television news has reported with reference to Reuters news agency.
McCain is likely to head this committee from the beginning of January, when the newly elected Senate will hold its first meeting.
"Military analysts say that McCain could arrange tough tests for costly military programs in the United States. First of all, this may concern the F-35 jet fighter program of Lockheed Martin Corp, which has seen costs soar to nearly $400 billion," TSN reported.
A former U.S. Navy pilot and a veteran of the Vietnam War, McCain has lobbied hard in the U.S. Congress for military support to be given to Ukraine.
As reported earlier, the Republican Party gained majorities in the Senate and the House of Representatives at the midterm elections in the U.S. Congress – the first time the party has controlled both houses since 2006. The Republicans won 52 seats out of 100 in the Senate and 218 out of 435 seats in the House of Representatives.