US Senate Approves Military Aid to Ukraine

Biden promised to sign the bill today.

The US Senate approved a bill on the provision of military assistance to Ukraine today, April 23 (April 24 - Minsk time). Now the document must be signed by US President Joe Biden.

This became known on Monday during the broadcast of the meeting.

In the course of voting for the bill providing assistance to Ukraine for $61 billion, 79 senators voted "for".

18 senators voted against it.

Thus, both houses of the US Congress approved the bill.

To enter into force, the bill must be signed by US President Joe Biden.

The head of the White House promised to sign the bill on assistance to Ukraine as soon as it was on his desk on Wednesday.

“I want to thank Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, and all of the bipartisan lawmakers in the Senate who voted for this bill. This critical legislation will make our nation and world more secure as we support our friends who are defending themselves against terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like Putin,” Statement from President Joe Biden on Senate Passage of the National Security Package reads.

In turn, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted to the approval of assistance to Ukraine and expressed gratitude to the Senate, majority leader Chuck Schumer and Republican leader Mitch McConnell, all Americans and American President Joe Biden.

“I am grateful to the US Senate for today's approval of vital assistance to Ukraine. Thanks to majority leader Chuck Schumer and Republican leader Mitch McConnell for their strong leadership in promoting this bipartisan law, as well as to all US senators from both parties who voted for it,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.

He noted that this vote strengthens America's role as a beacon of democracy and leader of the free world.

Zelensky also said he was grateful to all Americans who continue to support Ukraine and realize that the historical significance of this bill goes beyond politics.

What the United States has prepared to help Ukraine

This bill provides for the allocation of funds for assistance to Ukraine for a total amount of more than $60 billion. In particular, $49.9 billion is provided for defence spending, $1.57 billion will be allocated for economic assistance and another $400 million for border protection and humanitarian demining.

At the same time, the bill provides for $7.8 billion in direct budget support, but this money will be provided as a loan. Its terms will be determined by a separate agreement.

This loan may be cancelled in the future. The President of the United States will have such powers, but after the elections on November 5, 2024.

The bill is expected to be immediately signed by the President of the United States. After that, Washington should provide Ukraine with a new package of military assistance as soon as possible.

In addition to helping Ukraine, the package also includes $26 billion in aid to Israel, $8 billion to support U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific, and new sanctions against Russia, China, and Iran, as well as authorizing the U.S. president to use frozen Russian assets to benefit Ukraine.

What can be in a new aid package from the United States

The other day it became known that this time the administration of US President Joe Biden is preparing a larger package of military assistance to Ukraine than usual.

New assistance to Ukraine is expected to include armored vehicles as addition to urgently needed artillery and air defence systems.

According to Western media, the package will include:

- Bradley combat vehicles;

- Hummers;

- M113 APCs;

- artillery systems;

- air defence systems;

- missiles.

Ukraine can also get ATACMS long-range missiles.