US Congress approves $895B defence bill with focus on Asia
The US Congress has passed the $895 billion defence spending bill for 2024. The document provides for increased investment in the Indo-Pacific region but does not include additional funds for supporting Ukraine.
The US Senate approved the defence spending bill, which outlines a budget of $895 billion. The bill passed with a decisive majority and now awaits the president's signature. The new budget includes a pay raise for soldiers and investments in the Indo-Pacific region.
$15 billion to deter China
One of the bill's key elements is the allocation of $15 billion for a policy to deter China and $300 million for military aid to Taiwan. In Europe, the European Deterrence Initiative includes $2.9 billion. Although the USAI program has been extended, the document does not include additional funds for purchasing weapons for Ukraine.
For the first time in a while, the NDAA lacks additional funds for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), although the program has been extended for another two years.
The bill also requires the intelligence community to prepare a special report on potential scenarios for the war in Ukraine, including the consequences of a potential Ukrainian defeat, Ukraine's ability to continue fighting without US support, and the capability of other allies to assist Ukraine.
