US President Donald Trump has requested half a billion dollars in his 2020 budget proposal to provide support for countries in Europe and Asia to counter Russia’s alleged malign influence, the Office of Management and Budget has stated.
“The Budget provides over $500 million for assistance to Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia to… support partner countries’ efforts to transition away from Russian military equipment, particularly through Foreign Military Finance lending; and address weaknesses in the macro-economic environment that the Government of Russia seeks to exploit, such as dependence on energy and trade”, the OMB said in the budget proposal.
Acting White House Budget Director Russ Vought said earlier that in the past two years, Congress has raised spending limits by $300 billion to accommodate increases in both military budgets and social programs.