Foreign

President Biden To Sign $95bn aid package For Ukraine, Two Others

Written by Basirat Memudu
File photo of US President, Joe Biden

US President Joe Biden is expected to sign the legislation into law of foreign aid package that includes military support for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan Today.

The US Senate had approved a $95bn (£76bn) aid package for the three countries on Tuesday.

The Senate on Tuesday evening backed the measure passed by the US House of Representatives on Saturday.

It includes $61bn in military aid for Ukraine, which the Pentagon says can start being delivered to the war-torn nation within days.

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.

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”.

Mr Biden hailed its passage in a statement late on Tuesday, calling it “critical legislation that will make our nation and world more secure as we support our friends who are defending themselves against Hamas and Russia.

Reacting to the vote, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it “reinforces America’s role as a beacon of democracy and leader of the free world”.

The Senate passed a similar aid package in February, but a group of conservatives who oppose new Ukraine support had prevented it from coming to a vote in the House of Representatives.

Last week, Democrats and Republicans in the lower chamber ultimately agreed to a package bill that included the foreign aid as well as legislation to confiscate Russian assets held by Western banks; new sanctions on Russia, Iran and China; and a provision that will force the Chinese company ByteDance to sell the popular social media service 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.”