US House passes major military aid package for Ukraine
- 22 April, 09:06
The US House of Representatives on Saturday passed approved a bill to provide much-anticipated additional aid to Ukraine after months of delay. The volume of the package is $60.84 billion. The $61 billion package, that includes economic assistance and weapons, had been delayed by the Republicans. Of $60.84 billion, $13.8 billion will be used for buying weapons systems, defense products and defense services, while $23.2 billion are allocated for replenishing Ukraine’s weapons stockpiles. $26 million of the provided funds will be used for supervision of the assistance provided.
Addressing the issue, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal wrote on Telegram that the US had shown leadership and resolve in fighting for peace and security, adding: "We will receive an important resource for victory and reconstruction. I call on other countries where Russian assets are held to follow this example. Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed his gratitude over the military aid and for a decision “that keeps history on the right track.”
The bill will be sent to the Senate for final decision this week, and then to President Joe Biden for ratification. Following the passing of the bill, Biden praised lawmakers from both parties, saying that "at this critical inflection point, they came together to answer history's call."
"I urge the Senate to quickly send this package to my desk so that I can sign it into law and we can quickly send weapons and equipment to Ukraine to meet their urgent battlefield needs," he stessed.
