The US Senate approved amendments to the military budget for the 2016 fiscal year, including military assistance to Ukraine, the reported on Friday, June 19. Associated Press

The amendments were supported by 71 senators, 25 were opposed. The initiator of the document was Senator from Ohio, Republican Rob Portman, the publication notes.

The newspaper clarifies that the adopted document allows the Pentagon and the US State Department to send military equipment to Ukraine, including anti-tank weapons and small arms, grenade launchers and unmanned aerial vehicles. The bill notes that this assistance will allow Kyiv to resist “further aggression” and protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.

The draft states that 20% of the total amount should be spent on weapons. According to the publication, the original version of the document, which was proposed by the head of the House Armed Services Committee, Republican Mac Thornberry, provided for the payment of $200 million to Ukraine.

In total, the United States plans to spend about $612 billion on military purposes, according to the initiative. The document also proposes to accelerate the modernization of the navy, direct money to support the army in Afghanistan and postpone the closure of the prison at Guantanamo Bay.

By the end of July, the House of Representatives must also agree on the project. It will then be sent to President Barack Obama for signature, who can veto it. The White House does not agree with the idea of supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine.

The US Senate approved military aid to Kyiv