The U.S. State Department detailed ongoing efforts to keep U.S. weapons from Ukraine out of the hands of criminal and non-state actors, a move that comes as Washington prepares for Congress next year to review aid to Ukraine, CNN reported.

State Department spokesman Ned Price said that while Ukraine “has an obligation to store and properly account for transferred defense equipment,” the U.S. “remains vigilant” about the possibility of weapons falling into foreign hands.

According to the department, the action plan in place to prevent this from happening has several parts:

• Strengthening the capacity of the security forces of Ukraine and neighboring states to protect weapons
• Strengthening border management and security in Ukraine
• Strengthening the capacity of Ukraine and its neighbors to “prevent, detect and intercept illegal traffic”

“Wars can create opportunities for weapons to end up in private hands through theft or illegal sales, sometimes creating black markets for weapons that persist for decades. Various criminal and non-state actors may seek to obtain weapons from Ukrainian sources during or after conflicts, as happened after the Balkan wars of the 1990s,” the State Department said in a statement.

Democrats and Joe Biden fear that some incoming House Republicans may demand aid cuts or increased oversight.

However, today, the vital need for weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine is “assessed as prevention of the spread of small arms and guided infantry weapons on the black market,” the agency explained.

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