US bill-Ukraine

By Chang Dong-woo

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has introduced legislation that would streamline the transfer of certain U.S.-origin munitions to Ukraine through South Korea and other American allies, congressional records showed Thursday.

The House bill, introduced Monday by Rep. William Keating (D-MA) and five other lawmakers, would amend the Arms Export Control Act to establish a preapproval mechanism for third-party transfers of specified defense articles originally sold by the United States.

Under the proposed legislation, South Korea, member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Australia, Japan, Israel and New Zealand would be eligible to transfer certain U.S.-supplied munitions to Ukraine without undergoing some of the approval procedures required under the law.

The covered weapons include 155 millimeter artillery shells, Excalibur extended-range artillery shells, High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) munitions and Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) munitions.

The bill would require Ukraine to provide written assurances that it would not transfer the weapons, unless demilitarized, to another country or individual without U.S. presidential consent.

The U.S. president would also be required to notify designated congressional leaders and committees before a qualifying transfer.

The legislation, titled the Fast Tracking European Investment in Ukraine's Defense Act, also calls for encouraging long-term investment by allies and partners in the U.S. defense industrial base and facilitating their contributions to Ukraine's defense.

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