As I have said earlier … he will not leave Ukraine to be swallowed up by Putin and Russia’s revanchist neo-imperialistic project. It has been 10 years now since Russia invaded Ukraine(Crimea) and JRB(our awesome President) and the late senator John McCain were among the earliest U.S. senior officials to support Ukraine against Russia. JRB isn’t about to quit now, even as the House of Representatives twiddles with the aid legislation. He will find sundry ways and means to keep Ukraine fighting. Ukraine has to have the ability to repair and sustain their Hawk Missile batteries in country. This contract allows that to happen. And it opens the door for future FMS(Foreign Military Sales) deals on other munitions.
May this FMS contract be the first of many many more. Ukraine has $5 billion and more coming of “arms shopping money” from the EU so now they can contract directly, on commercial basis, with US arms manufacturers. The only requirement, per the AECA-US Export Regulations), is that:
The President must formally notify Congress of commercially licensed arms sales 30 calendar days before Department of State issuance of export licenses for sales of major defense equipment valued at $14 million or more, or defense articles or services valued at $50 million or more. ...Section 36(b) of the AECA.
And in case you are wondering if congress can stop this deal, the answer is not likely. Because:
In general, the executive branch, after complying with the terms of applicable U.S. law, principally contained in the AECA, is free to proceed with an arms sales proposal unless Congress passes legislation prohibiting or modifying the proposed sale. Under current law Congress faces two fundamental obstacles to block or modify a presidential sale of military equipment: it must pass legislation expressing its will on the sale, and it must be capable of overriding a presumptive presidential veto of such legislation. Congress, however, is free to pass legislation to block or modify an arms sale at any time up to the point of delivery of the items involved. Congress has never successfully blocked a proposed arms sale by use of a joint resolution of disapproval(emphasis mine).
… Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.govRL3167
And per Reuters:
www.reuters.com/...