Congress has approved a giant aid package for Ukraine

The US Congress finally approved it on Tuesday mammoth package of further military and economic aid in Ukraine, the fruit of many months of extremely tense and painstaking bargaining.

The financing package – which also includes funds for Israelthe Taiwanand ultimatum for her TikTok platform- was approved by an extremely wide majority by the Senate. It had already been approved on Saturday by the House of Representatives.

President Joe Biden immediately announced that he would ratify it within the day, assuring that the US “they will start sending weapons and equipment to Ukraine this week”, after Congress approved a much-anticipated funding package for Kiev.

“I will sign the bill into law and address the American people once it reaches my desk.” within the day, Mr. Biden added, according to a press release issued by his White House staff.

“Within days” help says the Pentagon

The US Department of Defense assured, for its part, that new US military aid will be handed over to Ukraine’s armed forces “within days”.

Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said during a regular briefing of accredited reporters in Washington that the new aid would “based on the most urgent needs” of Kyiv. It will include “air defense capabilities” as well as “artillery ammunition”, he added.

“We are doing everything within our power (…), to be able to provide additional assistance to Ukraine as quickly as possible” he insisted.

After months of political deadlock in the US Congress, the House of Representatives on Saturday approved a $61 billion funding package to provide further US support to Ukraine, mostly military, by a large majority.

The “thank you” of Kiev

The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the US Senate after the vote in which it was approved, by a large majority, the granting of 61 billion dollars of military and economic aid from the US to his country.

“Thank you to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Republican Leader Mitch McConnell for their strong leadership in advancing this bipartisan legislation, and to all US senators of both parties who voted for him”, Mr. Zelenskiy said on social networking sites shortly after the text was approved.

The US is Ukraine’s main military backer after war broke out in 2022, when Russia invaded Ukrainian territory, but the new aid package, which includes essential hardware, was bogged down for months in Congress.

“I also appreciate President (US Joe) Biden’s support and hope that the bill will be signed soon and that the upcoming aid program will live up to the determination I always see in our negotiations,” added Mr. Zelensky.

According to him, the “long-range, artillery and anti-aircraft defense” capabilities that will be made available to Ukraine “are necessary tools to restore a just peace more quickly.”

The Ukrainian army is facing a serious shortage of both weapons and mainly ammunition, as well as personnel, while Moscow’s army is exerting unstoppable pressure on the eastern front, where it has now taken the initiative of the movements.