War in Ukraine: US to send new aid right away, Biden says
US President Joe Biden has authorized a $95 billion (£76 billion) aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, stating that it will enhance both American and global security.
Following the bill’s enactment, he pledged immediate dispatch of fresh weaponry and equipment to Ukraine to bolster its defenses against Russian encroachments.
This move came after months of congressional deadlock, with the US Senate finally approving the aid package in a bipartisan vote of 79-18.
The package, which includes $61 billion in military assistance for Ukraine, received approval in the US House of Representatives on Saturday before clearing the Senate on Tuesday evening. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer emphasized the message of unwavering support conveyed by the approval, stating, “After more than six months of hard work and many twists and turns in the road, America sends a message to the entire world: we will not turn our back on you.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the vote as a reaffirmation of America’s role as a bastion of democracy and leader of the free world.
The Senate’s approval marks a significant milestone, considering that a previous aid package in February was stalled due to opposition from conservatives in the House of Representatives.
However, last week, bipartisan cooperation in the lower chamber facilitated the passage of the aid package, which also encompasses measures such as confiscating Russian assets held by Western banks, imposing new sanctions on Russia, Iran, and China, and mandating the Chinese company ByteDance to divest the popular social media platform TikTok.
In the House on Saturday, a majority of Republicans in the chamber voted against the foreign aid package.
The bill also faced resistance among a handful of Senate Republicans who opposed any new aid to Ukraine.
Fifteen voted with two Democrats – as well as independent Senator Bernie Sanders who objected to providing new offensive weapons to Israel – against the bill.
“Pouring more money into Ukraine’s coffers will only prolong the conflict and lead to more loss of life,” Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville said in remarks on Tuesday.
“No-one at the White House, the Pentagon, or the state department can articulate what victory looks like in this fight.”
The aid package is expected to provide a significant boost to Ukraine’s forces, which have suffered from a shortage of ammunition and air defence systems in recent months.
On Tuesday, Ukraine’s second city, Kharkiv, faced the latest in a series of recent drone and missile strikes, with authorities saying two people in a residential neighbourhood were injured.
The commander of Ukraine’s National Guard, Oleksandr Pivnenko, said he was expecting an attempt by Russian forces to advance on the city, which is near the Russian border.
Between February 2022 and January 2024, the US gave Ukraine more than $40bn in military aid, according to German research organisation, the Kiel Institute.
The foreign aid package passed on Tuesday also allocates $17bn to Israel, as well as $9bn for civilians suffering in conflict zones around the world, including Palestinians in Gaza.
A further $8bn has been earmarked for allies in the Asia-Pacific, including Taiwan, to “counter communist China”.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz reacted to the vote by thanking congressional leaders for their “unwavering commitment to Israel’s security”.
“Israel and the United States stand together in the fight against terrorism, defending democracy and our shared values,” he said.
The US already provides Israel with $3.8bn in military aid each year.
Over in Asia, a Chinese government spokeswoman called the military aid for Taiwan a “serious violation of the one-China principle” that would “send the wrong signal to the pro-independence separatist forces” in Taiwan.
“We urge the US to take practical actions to fulfil its commitment not to support Taiwan independence by not arming Taiwan in any way,” she said.
Taiwan’s incoming President William Lai said the aid package would “strengthen deterrence against authoritarianism”.
Taiwan is a self-governing island and considers itself distinct from China, but Beijing views it as a breakaway province and hopes to bring it back under its own control.
The national security package also includes a provision that could lead to a nationwide ban on TikTok.
The popular social media app’s China-based parent company has nine months to sell its stake and find a US-approved buyer or see TikTok shut down across the US.
The statute gives the US president the option of extending the deadline by an additional 90 days, which means the latest the ban could take effect is nearly a year from now.
