See the moment the U.S. House of Representatives passed the critical Ukraine aid package
The House finally approved billions of dollars in new U.S. military aid to Ukraine to counter Russian aggression.
The long-delayed bill faced strong opposition in parliament and needed a fragile bipartisan agreement to pass the $61bn (£49bn) bill.
Republicans said more than a third would go to replenishing arms and ammunition.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said U.S. support was “indispensable.”
Support could include air defense systems, medium- and long-range missiles, and artillery shells.
It is unknown when it will arrive. The bill now heads to the Senate, where it is expected to pass within days before being signed into law by President Joe Biden.
Ukraine, dependent on Western weapons, is in dire need of aid as it struggles to stop a Russian military invasion that has been steadily advancing in recent weeks.
Zelenskiy said aid should be provided as soon as possible. In a speech Sunday night, he said Ukraine could change the situation on the front if it was given the right weapons.
“Front-line air defense is just as important as protecting cities and villages: long-range capabilities, artillery, and the ability to expand territory.” “Every day is important now.”
In addition to replenishing its arms and ammunition systems, Ukraine will also receive more than $9 billion (£7.28 billion) in economic aid in the form of “forgivable loans” that do not need to be repaid.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, tens of thousands of people, mostly soldiers, have been killed or injured on both sides, and millions of Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes.
Ukrainian soldiers are currently running low on ammunition and are forced to ration shells along a front line more than 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) long.
Reuters
Ukraine grows impatient as ammunition supplies dwindle as Russia steadily gains territory
After the bill passed by a vote of 311 to 112, the House of Representatives erupted in cheers and applause, with some members waving Ukrainian flags.
Biden welcomed the results and praised the bipartisan effort to “answer the call of history,” saying, “I signed this bill into law, sending weapons and equipment to Ukraine to meet urgent needs on the battlefield.” He called on the Senate to approve the bill as soon as possible so that it can be sent as soon as possible. .
The foreign aid package passed Saturday also includes:
Military aid to Israel is $26.4bn (£21.34bn), of which $9.1bn (£7.36bn) will be allocated to humanitarian assistance in Gaza, and $8.1bn in funding for allies in the Asia-Pacific, including Taiwan. USD (6.55 billion pounds) will be allocated. “Anti-Communist China”.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the significant increase in aid would supplement the tens of billions of dollars in aid European allies are providing Ukraine.
“Ukraine deserves all possible support against Russia,” EU Prime Minister Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel said in a joint statement.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the policy would “make the United States richer, further ruin Ukraine, and result in the deaths of even more Ukrainians.”
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American and Ukrainian flags flew near the Capitol on Saturday.
The head of Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Oleksandr Mereshko, told the BBC World Service’s NewsHour program that the vote was a “historic decision” that would “undoubtedly save many lives of our civilians and soldiers”. said.
“It gives us strength and gives us the courage and determination to keep fighting. We are confident that the situation on the front will soon change in our favor,” he said.
Both Mr. Zelensky and CIA Director William Burns have said that without American support, Ukraine will lose the war.
That trend has further strengthened over the past six months as Russia captures more territory and other Western allies struggle to fill the gap left by Washington.
Ukraine is now once again feeling the weight of American aid.
This is not a silver bullet that will help Ukraine win the war, but it will open up more room for fighting and prevent it from coming to the negotiating table.
The House vote had been delayed for months as Republicans opposed sending money overseas instead of addressing the U.S.-Mexico border.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said he wants to push through the measure even if it puts his own position at risk.
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Three House Republicans have already called for Mike Johnson (center) to be removed as speaker.
Although it passed by a wide margin on Saturday, the numbers obscure the increasingly sharp partisan divide on the issue.
All 210 Democrats voted in favor of the bill, but more Republicans voted against it than for it, 112 to 101.
That could spell trouble for Johnson. Three House Republicans have already called for his removal as speaker. They could even force a vote on the issue next week.
Billions of dollars in new aid are expected to support the Ukraine war effort in coming months, but further U.S. aid is unlikely if Republicans gain more power in Congress or take back the White House. It seems less and less likely.
Separately, the House of Representatives also passed a bill that would force the owners of China-based social media platform TikTok to sell their shares or face a ban in the United States.
