NOS News•today, 03:50•Amended today, 04:24
The US Senate has approved a new $61 billion aid package for Ukraine. As expected, the law was adopted by a large majority by senators (79 in favor, 18 against), after the package had already been approved by the House of Representatives on Saturday.
This makes it possible in practice to provide Ukraine with military support from the US within a few days. President Biden said after the vote that he will sign the bill today.
The money for Ukraine is part of a broader support package of more than $95 billion, with money also going to Israel and Taiwan. The package also contains a provision that could lead to the social medium TikTok being banned in the US.
The support for Ukraine comes at an important time in the war with Russia; the country is struggling with shortages of weapons and anti-aircraft defenses. Meanwhile, Russia is stepping up attacks on the front lines and also on Ukrainian infrastructure.
Haggling
In the US it was unclear for a long time whether support would be forthcoming. Some Republicans in the House, led by presidential candidate Trump, opposed the plan for months. Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson was also one of those opponents, but he appeared to have recently pivoted.
“I can make a selfish choice, but I am doing what I think is right here. Arms support to Ukraine is really important,” he said in an interview. In it he also said that if the West is not careful, Putin will soon move on to the Baltic states or Poland.
Biden said after the Senate vote that senators from both parties “heeded the call of history at this critical turning point.”
Before the vote, leaders of both the Democrats (Chuck Schumer) and the Republicans (Mitch McConnell) underlined the importance of the aid package. Schumer said there has rarely been a vote on something this important in the Senate. McConnell called it one of the “bigger days” in his long history in the Senate.
