MOSCOW, April 29. /TASS/. Washington’s "Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act" is an expensive credit scheme and by accepting it, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is pushing the country into a debt trap, Russian State Duma (the lower house of parliament) Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin wrote on Telegram, on Friday.

"The lend-lease program is a supplier credit model, and not a cheap one at that because the future generations of Ukrainian citizens will have to pay for all the ammunition, equipment and food that the US will provide. Zelensky is pushing the country into a debt trap," he emphasized.

According to Volodin, Washington’s reasons are clear because "the lend-lease program will enable US military corporations to rake in enormous profits."

The State Duma chairman pointed out that the Soviet Union had received weapons from the US based on the WWII-era lend-lease program during the Great Patriotic War, which was presented as assistance from the allies. However, the debts had to be paid back and for years, the Soviet Union was forced to limit itself, providing "platinum, gold and timber to the US and repairing US ships for free among other things." "These payments were completed only in 2006, 61 years after the Great Victory," the speaker noted.

The US House of Representatives on Thursday passed legislation on providing weapons to Ukraine through its rehashed lend-lease model in order to facilitate military assistance to Kiev. The document was also approved by the US Senate and will now be submitted to President Joe Biden for signing. According to the legislation, "for fiscal years 2022 and 2023, the president may authorize the United States Government to lend or lease defense articles to the Government of Ukraine or to governments of Eastern European countries impacted by the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine to help bolster those countries’ defense capabilities." "Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this act, the president shall establish expedited procedures for the delivery of any defense article loaned or leased to the government of Ukraine," the document says.