Editors’ note: This is a breaking story and will be updated with additional details.
The US House of Representatives on April 20 passed a major foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other allies after months of political infighting and a worsening battlefield situation.
It’s been more than two months since the Senate passed a similar foreign aid bill, and Democratic and Republican lawmakers, along with US President Joe Biden, have been urging House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring the bill to the House for a vote.
The aid package includes $60.84 billion in aid to Ukraine, including $13.8 billion to purchase advanced weapons for Ukraine, $13.4 billion to replenish supplies, $11 billion to support U.S. allies in the region, and another $13.8 billion for Ukraine’s defense to purchase systems.
Another 9 billion dollars will be allocated to the war-torn country in the form of economic aid in the form of loans, which the president will forgive with the approval of Congress.
According to CNN, 101 members of the Republican House supported the Ukraine aid bill, 112 were against, and one voted for it. Meanwhile, among Democrats, 210 members of the House voted against the bill.
The package will now go to the Senate for a vote before being sent to President Biden for his signature. Biden has already indicated that he will sign the bills passed by Congress.
Ukraine has repeatedly called on the US to provide much-needed assistance amid dwindling air defenses and ammunition on the battlefield. The recent increase in devastating Russian attacks on critical infrastructure has highlighted Ukraine’s growing need for assistance.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on April 16 that Russian forces had succeeded in destroying the Trypilia Thermal Power Plant (TPP) in Kyiv Oblast as Ukraine ran out of missiles to defend it during an attack.
Speaker Johnson Funds Aid Bills But Time Is Running Out As Ukraine Supplies Run Out
After six grueling months, the US House of Representatives may finally be preparing to vote on a new aid package for Ukraine. House Speaker Mike Johnson said on April 16 that after a new round of negotiations with House Republicans, he plans to advance three separate aid packages for Ukraine.
The House voted on April 20 on three separate bills on aid to Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific region aimed at countering Chinese aggression in the region, and a fourth on national security priorities. In addition to aid to Ukraine, the payments include $26.4 billion in aid to Israel, and $8.1 billion will be spent on Indo-Pacific security.
A fourth bill addresses Republican priorities, including sanctions on Iran, the potential transfer of seized Russian assets to Ukraine, and a measure that could lead to a ban on TikTok.
The three-chamber bill totals about $95 billion, mirroring the amount included in the Senate bill passed in February, with the adjustment that $10 billion in economic aid to Ukraine is structured as a repayable loan.
The approval of the US aid package comes at a critical moment for Ukraine, marked by a growing deterioration of the situation on the front line, where Russia has recently made significant gains.
A month-long delay in US defense aid to Ukraine contributed to the loss of the main frontline town of Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast.
CIA Director William Burns recently said that with military assistance, Ukraine could hold its ground until 2024, challenging recent Russian advances and a potential major offensive expected in late spring or summer.
However, without that help, he said, there is a significant risk of Ukraine’s defeat and “the picture is much more dire.”
Why are some far-right Republicans hell-bent on cutting off further aid to Ukraine?
As the world watched in horror at Russia’s unprovoked full-scale invasion and war against Ukraine in the early months of 2022, Americans stood firmly behind Eastern European democracy. Shortly after the start of full-scale war, 79% of US voters supported sending weapons to Ukraine…
While Ukraine faces troop shortages and is in dire need of weapons, Russia is believed to be mobilizing and firing 30,000 men a month, according to the UK Ministry of Defence. About a 7:1 ratio Ukraine.
Critics of Ukraine aid argue that the United States has already sent enough money to Kiev and should focus more on domestic issues, while supporters have stressed that the bill would help boost US jobs and boost the country’s defense industry.
The passage of the new Ukrainian aid bill will directly benefit 71 US cities
Additional aid to Ukraine would also help replenish the US stockpile of weapons that have been continuously shipped to Ukraine for the past two years.
Washington is the largest supplier of weapons and military equipment to Ukraine. The United States has sent more than $44 billion in defense aid to Ukraine since a full-scale Russian invasion began on February 24, 2022.
Zelensky He thanked The US House approved the aid bill for Ukraine in the evening speech on April 20.
“We appreciate all manifestations of support for our state and our independence, our people and our lives, which Russia wants to bury in ruins,” Zelensky said.
“Of course, we will use America’s support to strengthen our nation and bring a just end to this war — a war that Putin must lose.”
He added that the United States “showed its leadership from the very first days of the war.”
“Such American leadership is vital to maintaining an international order based on rules and predictability in the lives of all peoples.”
President Biden also issued a statement After the vote, he emphasized that the passage of the foreign aid package sends “a clear message about the power of American leadership on the world stage.”
“This comes at an urgent time, when Israel is facing unprecedented attacks from Iran and Ukraine under constant Russian bombardment,” Biden said.
I urge the Senate to quickly send this package to my desk so I can sign it into law, and we can quickly send weapons and equipment to Ukraine to meet their immediate battlefield needs.”
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Ukraine has about a month left to run out of artillery shells, and the US Congress cannot agree to send more. Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has died. The carnage in Gaza continues with no end in sight. Yemeni Houthis attack ships in Red Sea. The
