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US may give Ukraine non-NATO ally status - former intelligence officer

That status would entitle Kiev to broad financial aid from Washington to buy military equipment and weapons

© EPA/MICHAEL REYNOLDS

KIEV, July 25 /ITAR-TASS/. The United States can give Ukraine the status of a non-NATO ally, which will allow Washington to supply military hardware to Kiev, former head of the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service Nikolai Malomuzh said, the UNIAN news agency reported on Friday.

Speaking at the “East + West” roundtable on Thursday, Malomuzh, who used to advise ex-President Viktor Yanukovich, said the U.S. House of Representatives could adopt the relevant decision within days.

He said the non-NATO ally status would entitle Kiev to broad financial aid from Washington to buy military equipment and weapons.

The U.S. administration earlier said it would provide non-lethal aid to Ukraine, such as medicines, helmets, water cleaning systems, power generators and hand pumps. The U.S. has also sent some 300,000 food rations for the Ukrainian military.

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Ukraine crisis Ukraine United States Eastern Ukraine NATO

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