The decision was supported by 281 congress members, while 140 legislators voted against it (16 Republicans and 124 Democrats). The bill must be approved by the U.S. Senate, with voting expected next week.
Markarova noted that this year's NDAA bill, approved by the Senate, included provisions for extending the lease law to protect democracy in Ukraine. However, the bill passed by the House of Representatives for 2025 did not include such a provision.
"The consolidated text of the bill does not include the relevant provision. The embassy continues to actively work to preserve this mechanism, which is particularly outlined in the bipartisan and bicameral Stand with Ukraine Act," Markarova wrote.
She reported that the document contains the following key provisions regarding Ukraine:
- Article 1303 extends the prohibition on using any funds for actions that could lead to recognition of the aggressor state's sovereignty over the occupied regions of Ukraine;
- Article 1534 tasks the U.S. Secretary of Defense with exploring the possibility of establishing a center of excellence to support the development and enhancement of weapons systems based on artificial intelligence. Among the center's functions is to facilitate Pentagon collaboration with foreign partners, including Ukraine, to identify best practices, guidelines, standards, and metrics;
- Article 6411 directs the Director of National Intelligence, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of the Treasury to submit a report to the Senate and House committees on intelligence, foreign affairs, armed services, legal affairs, financial matters, and appropriations regarding the funding of Russian acts of international terrorism. The report is not classified, but it may contain classified annexes.