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06:43
Russian ministry calls NATO exercises in Finland ‘provocative’
The military exercises that NATO has planned in Finland on April 26 are provocative in nature. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said this to the state news agency RIA.
According to Zakharova, the exercises are taking place near the Russian-Finnish border and NATO is trying to exert military pressure on Russia. “These exercises increase the risks of possible military incidents,” she said. (Reuters)
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04:21
US Senate also approves aid package for Ukraine
The US Senate has approved a long-awaited military aid package for Ukraine. The senators voted by a large majority in favor of the proposal, which had already been approved last weekend by the House of Representatives, the other chamber of parliament (Congress). This means that only President Joe Biden still has to sign it.
The support package for Ukraine amounts to 61 billion dollars, equivalent to 57 billion euros. Due to political disagreements in the US, it was not possible for months to get such a large support package through Congress. Biden had asked the Senate to hurry so that new weapons and equipment can be quickly sent to Ukraine to fight the Russian invasion force.
The proposal was ultimately approved by a large majority of 79 to 18. 15 Republicans and 3 Democrats voted against. Biden promised to sign the aid package immediately after the vote on Wednesday. “I will sign this bill and address the American people as soon as it reaches my desk tomorrow so that we can begin sending weapons and equipment to Ukraine this week.”
The support package for Ukraine is part of a larger foreign aid package that the Senate approved on Tuesday, worth 95 billion dollars (88.7 billion euros). That also includes aid for Israel and Taiwan. The package also contains a provision that could lead to the social medium TikTok being banned in the US. (AP)
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11:59 PM, Yesterday
Welcome to the live blog of Wednesday April 24
This was the most important news about the war in Ukraine on Tuesday, April 23:
• A majority of the US Senate is in favor of considering a new aid package for Ukraine. The package has a total value of 60 billion dollars, which equates to 56 billion euros. Final approval will follow on Tuesday night or Wednesday.
• Germany is urging the US to also supply an additional Patriot air defense system to Ukraine, Bloomberg reports, citing anonymous sources. Last week, Germany decided to supply a Patriot system after pleas from Ukraine. This indicates that five to seven additional Patriots will be needed in the short term to protect themselves against Russian air attacks.
• Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 no longer receive consular assistance abroad unless it is needed to return to Ukraine. This means, for example, that they can no longer renew their Ukrainian passport at a Ukrainian embassy. The measure is an implementation of the controversial mobilization law that was recently adopted.
Read Tuesday’s full live blog here.
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10:41 PM, Yesterday
Welcome to the live blog of Wednesday April 24
This was the most important news about the war in Ukraine on Tuesday, April 23:
• A majority of the US Senate is in favor of considering a new aid package for Ukraine. The package has a total value of 60 billion dollars, which equates to 56 billion euros. Final approval will follow on Tuesday night or Wednesday.
• Germany is urging the US to also supply an additional Patriot air defense system to Ukraine, Bloomberg reports, citing anonymous sources. Last week, Germany decided to supply a Patriot system after pleas from Ukraine. This indicates that five to seven additional Patriots will be needed in the short term to protect themselves against Russian air attacks.
• Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 no longer receive consular assistance abroad unless it is needed to return to Ukraine. This means, for example, that they can no longer renew their Ukrainian passport at a Ukrainian embassy. The measure is an implementation of the controversial mobilization law that was recently adopted.
Read Tuesday’s full live blog here.
Tags: Live Ukraine Senate approves military aid package Ukraine send weapons week
