WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th August, 2018) The US government extended its ban against cooperating militarily with Russia in a bilateral format, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) revealed.
On Monday, the 2019 NDAA, which authorizes $716 billion of US defense spending, was signed into law by President Donald Trump during a ceremony at Fort Drum in New York.
The prohibition remained in effect this year and with the law signed by Trump continues the ban through 2019.
The prohibition, first enacted in the 2017 NDAA, says none of the funds authorized may be used for any bilateral military-to-military cooperation with Russia until Moscow implements the Minsk accords and returns Crimea to Ukrainian sovereignty.
However, the 2019 law adds a provision - missing from two previous NDAAs - that explicitly authorizes negotiations between Washington and Moscow.
"Nothing in subsection (a) shall be construed to limit bilateral military-to-military dialogue between the United States and the Russian Federation for the purpose of reducing the risk of conflict," the 2019 NDAA stated.
The US and Russian militaries currently maintain a deconfliction line to avoid confrontations during operations in the middle East.
