The US Senate Approved a Huge Budget of USD 700 Billion for the Pentagon

With an unexpected majority, the US Senate has approved a bill defining the direction of the Ministry of Defense and providing it with USD 700 billion for 2018, reports CNN.

In the budget for the upcoming financial year are set up funds for armament of Ukraine, increase of the US missile defense and conducting military operations in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq, the amount exceeding the previous budget of 600 billion.

640 billion dollars is only the amount intended to fulfill the key functions of the Pentagon of, namely, arms deals, wages for military and military support. The remaining 60 billion will be used to conduct military operations in the above-mentioned countries and other activities. Finances are also envisaged to deter Russian aggression in the Balkans (USD 100 million).

Earlier, the Defense Authorization Act was approved by the House of Representatives at Congress, although its text differed from what the Senate voted today. For this reason, a special commission will be set up to bring the two options together. Only after re-voting of the final decision will the bill be presented for signature by the President.