
President Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Tuesday afternoon at the White House, approving spending levels for U.S. military efforts, according to U.S. CBS News.
"This legislation represents a momentous step toward rebuilding our military and securing the future for our children," Mr. Trump said, CBS News reported.
"I applaud the work of the members of both parties who came together to pass the National Defense Authorization Act, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support – something that sounds very nice to my ears," he said.
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The House and the Senate passed the $700 billion bill for fiscal year 2018 in mid-November.
As UNIAN reported earlier, the NDAA authorizes $350 million to provide security assistance to Ukraine, including defensive lethal assistance. "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," a report posted on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee said.
According to Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Valeriy Chaly, the act suggests that Ukraine be provided with such defensive means as air-defense and surface search surveillance radars, naval countermine means, offshore and coastal patrol ships. "It also includes funds for the rehabilitation of our wounded soldiers in medical institutions in the United States, training of Ukrainian paramedics," he added.