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US Congress Sees Russia as 'Competitor', Aims to Prolong Ban on Military Ties

© AP Photo / Susan Walsh, FileIn this May 4, 2017, file photo, the U.S. flag flies in front of the Capitol dome on Capitol Hill in Washington
In this May 4, 2017, file photo, the U.S. flag flies in front of the Capitol dome on Capitol Hill in Washington - Sputnik International
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Just as President Trump is trying to mend fences with Russia, US legislators continue to see Russia as an enemy.

The US Congress plans to extend a ban on military cooperation between US and Russian forces, according to a report by the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“The US military is facing challenges on many fronts, including an alarming increase in the number of serious accidents in the process of the exercise,”  states the document that calls Russia a “competitor” of the United States.

Also, the text mentions the need “to provide flexibility to strategic partners and allies for the transition from the use of Russian weapons to the US,” not to accept the  ”annexation” of the Crimea and to allocate $250 million for the supply of lethal weapons to Ukraine.

The US Congress building. (File) - Sputnik International
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It adds that the law on national defense for fiscal year 2019 aims to introduce new reforms aimed at speeding up the decision-making process and military maneuvering.

In May, the US House of Representatives passed a whopping $717 billion annual defense spending bill for the 2019 fiscal year.

After the draft has been approved by the upper house, the Senate, it will be submitted for signature by President Donald Trump.

US lawmakers claim that Russia has violated all key arms control agreements, expanded and modernized its nuclear arsenal, tested new missile defense systems and used its new technological advances to “destabilize its neighbors.” 

READ MORE: Russia Surprised US Links Bilateral Military Ties With Ukrainian Crisis

Congress wants President Trump to give a definitive answer to whether or not Russia has seriously breached the terms of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

The bill also envisages the release of $6.3 billion for the so-called European Deterrence Initiative aimed at containing “Russian aggression” and ramping up the US military’s presence in Europe.

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