US Congress gives the green light
Biden: Ukraine will receive new weapons this week
April 24, 2024, 4:35 a.m
After a months-long delay, the US House of Representatives voted this weekend for a new military package for Ukraine. Now the Senate has also given the green light. Kiev can expect new weapons this week.
After months of deadlock, the US Congress, with the approval of the Senate, approved billions in aid for Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia. The bill, which, among other things, contains aid worth around $61 billion for Kiev, now has to be signed by US President Joe Biden, which is considered a formality. The House of Representatives had already approved the bill on Saturday, which also includes support for Israel.
79 of the 100 senators voted in favor and 18 against in the vote late on Tuesday evening (local time). Approval in the parliamentary chamber, where the Democrats have a majority, was considered certain. Biden wants to start delivering weapons and equipment to Ukraine this week. “I will sign this bill and address the American people as soon as it reaches my desk tomorrow so that we can begin delivering weapons and equipment to Ukraine this week,” Biden said.
“Against Tyranny and Oppression”
By passing the legislative package, which also contains billions in aid for Israel and Taiwan, the US Congress has demonstrated the power of American leadership in the world, Biden said. “We stand resolutely for democracy and freedom and against tyranny and oppression.”
There is an urgent need for support: for Ukraine, which is under relentless bombardment from Russia, and for Israel, which has recently faced unprecedented attacks from Iran. “This important legislation will make our nation and our world safer as we support our friends who defend themselves against terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like Putin.”
The package provides, among other things, funds for increasing the US military inventory. This money therefore only goes indirectly to Ukraine, as the USA usually supplies the country attacked by Russia with equipment from its own stocks. The remainder is earmarked for further military support and financial assistance, including in the form of loans. The text also calls for the delivery of long-range ATACMS missile systems. To date, the US has delivered ATACMS with a range of 165 kilometers. However, Ukraine wants systems with a range of 300 kilometers.
In addition to aid for Ukraine, the Senate approved a good $26 billion in support for Israel. This is intended, for example, to finance Israel’s missile defense and the ongoing US military operations in the region. Around nine billion US dollars are intended for humanitarian support, including for the people of the Gaza Strip. The package also includes around $8 billion in support for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region.
Telephone call with Zelensky via ATACMS
Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky spoke on the phone on Monday. According to the White House, Biden promised Zelensky in the conversation to quickly provide new security assistance “to meet Ukraine’s urgent battlefield and air defense needs.” Zelenskyy said afterwards that details on the delivery of new long-range ATACMS missiles had been “finalized”. Zelenskyj has not yet provided any information about which model ATACMS the USA plans to supply.
Previous US aid to Ukraine had expired. Kiev depends on US support. Since the war began in February 2022, President Biden’s administration has provided more than $44 billion in military assistance to Kyiv. There are also billions more in non-military financial aid.
The vote in the House of Representatives was preceded by a months-long blockade because an internal party power struggle was raging in the Republican-dominated chamber. Chairman Mike Johnson was under great pressure from the right-wing fringe of his party and prevented the vote in his chamber for a long time. The hardliners threatened him with a vote of no confidence. They vehemently reject further US aid to Ukraine, arguing that taxpayers’ money should be spent first and foremost on protecting their own border and not on protecting other countries.