The senator's bill would give the Pentagon the ability to donate equipment to low-income NATO countries to rapidly build their defense capabilities, the document notes.
In particular, it is planned to replace air defense systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, anti-ship missiles, military vehicles, ammunition and other weapons.
“In this period of uncertainty, it is especially important that the United States provide strong support to our allies in the region,” Grassley said.
According to the politician, a number of countries on the eastern flank of NATO promptly provided Ukrainians with lethal assistance, while many of them themselves need these weapons.
He also stressed that some members of the military bloc have Soviet air defense systems and Turkish-made drones, which "could be very useful to Ukraine" in the future.
“However, if these weapons are transferred and not replaced by anything, there will be serious security gaps (of these countries. -
RT
),” the commentary to the bill says.
According to Grassley's idea, the secretary of defense should consult with the secretary of state about whether the transfer of weapons is consistent with the goals of US foreign policy and whether these actions will lead to any problems for the national security of the United States.
Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that for eight years, NATO countries have been actively supplying weapons to Ukraine.
And over the past month and a half, only the United States transferred weapons worth $1.65 billion to Kiev. Among the equipment were Stinger MANPADS, Javelin ATGMs, grenade launchers and more.