Chairman Frelinghuysen (@USRepRodney) pushes for new assistance to #Europe and #...

Chairman Frelinghuysen (@USRepRodney) pushes for new assistance to #Europe and #Ukraine in FY16 Defense Appropriations bill, #RussiaInvadedUkraine
June 15, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Chairman of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11), continued his advocacy on behalf of Ukraine by including in the Fiscal Year 2016 Defense Appropriations bill nearly a $1 billion to counter Russian aggression in eastern Europe.
“The United States has already provided significant “non-lethal” assistance to the Ukraine government as they battle Russian aggression,” said Chairman Frelinghuysen. “Ukraine’s leaders have personally appealed to us for defensive ‘lethal’ weaponry to help them defend their own territory from the Russian onslaught. It’s about time the President and our military leaders help Ukraine react seriously to the Russian threat”
H.R. 2685 includes funding important to the Ukrainian military and our NATO allies:
· $789.3 million is provided in the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) accounts of Title 9, the Global War on Terrorism fund for the European Reassurance Initiative (ERI). This funding builds on the resources that Appropriations Committee provided last year to shore up the defenses of NATO members and our non-NATO partners in the region that feel most threatened by Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine. This funding will support increased military capability, presence, readiness, and responsiveness to deter further destabilization in central and eastern Europe. Efforts include an increased U.S. military presence in Europe and additional bilateral and multilateral exercises and training opportunities with allies and partners.
· The bill also provides an additional $200 million for further training, equipment, lethal weapons of a defensive nature, logistics support, supplies and services, and sustainment of the military and national security forces of Ukraine. This funding will be used to secure the sovereign territory of Ukraine against foreign aggressors, protect and defend the Ukrainian people from attacks posed by Russian-backed separatists, and promote the conditions for a negotiated settlement to end the conflict.
“This funding will reassure our European allies that we are committed to fighting Russian aggression in Ukraine and throughout Europe,” said Frelinghuysen. “It will further demonstrate that the United States’ commitment to Europe and our NATO allies and partners remains unshakable.”