Russia-Ukraine war live: US to send weapons and equipment to Ukraine ‘this week’ after Senate aid approval | Ukraine

Ukrainian president Volodymr Zelenskiy said he is “grateful to the United States Senate for approving vital aid to Ukraine today”.

In a social media post on X, Zelenskiy thanked the Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumerand the Republican senateleader, Mitch McConnell for “their strong leadership in advancing this bipartisan legislation”. He also thanked “all US Senators on both sides of the aisle who voted in favor of it”.

Zelenskiy said that the vote to approve $95bn in aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan reinforced “America’s role as a beacon of democracy and the leader of the free world” and expressed appreciation for the USA president, Joe Biden‘s support.

“Ukraine’s long-range capabilities, artillery, and air defense are critical tools for restoring just peace sooner,” Zelenskiy said.

Also, this piece by Jonathan Yerushalmy provides a handy explainer on what is in the $95bn foreign aid bill and why it has taken so long for Congress to pass it. Here is an excerpt:

The bill allocates $60.84bn to support Ukraine in its battle to repel Russia‘s invasion. Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline have complained in recent months that they are completely outgunned and have been forced to ration ammunition.

The package includes $23.2bn to replenish USA weapons, stocks and facilities and $11.3bn for current US military operations in the region. The US does not have troops in Ukraine, but the Pentagon has been training Ukrainian troops elsewhere in the region.

The bill also provides more economic assistance to Ukraine in the form of “forgivable loans”. The idea of ​​structuring aid as a loan is a key Trump policy proposal and is supported by a number of Republicans. However, the bill contains a provision for the president to forgive the loan starting in 2026.

You can read the full explainer here:

In this video you can see the USA Senate‘s Democratic leader Chuck Schumerlauded the Senate’s “greatest achievement in years” after a $95bn foreign aid bill passes.

The U.S.Senate voted decisively on Tuesday to approve $95bn in aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwanas a bipartisan super-majority united to send the long-stalled package to Joe Biden‘s desk for signature. The final vote was 79 to 18.

The bill easily cleared a key procedural hurdle earlier in the day. The Senate overwhelmingly voted to advance the measure in a step hailed by the majority leader as “one of the greatest achievements the Senate has faced in years”.

“Today the Senate sends a unified message to the entire world: America will always defend democracy in its hour of need,” said Chuck Schumer in a floor speech on Tuesday afternoon.

“Make no mistake, America will deliver on its promise to act like a leader on the world stage, to hold the line against autocratic thugs like Vladimir Putin,” he continued. “We are showing Putin that betting against America is always, always a grave mistake.”

The legislation includes $60.8bn to replenish Ukraine’s war chest as it seeks to repel Russia from its territory; $26.3bn for Israel and humanitarian relief for civilians in conflict zones, including Gaza; and $8.1bn for the Indo-Pacific region to bolster its defenses against China.

In a call on Monday, Biden informed the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiythat he would “move quickly” to send desperately needed military aid, https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1782452373358571536to the country after the bill’s passage through the Senate.

Much of the foreign aid section of the bill mirrors what the Senate passed in February, with the addition of a measure mandating the president seek repayment from Kyiv for roughly $10bn in economic assistance in the form of “forgivable loans”, an idea first floated by Donald Trumpwho was initially opposed to aiding Ukraine.

You can read more of the report by Lauren Gambino in Washington and Joan E Greve here:

It has gone 10.30am in Kyiv and in Moscow. This is our latest Guardian blog covering all the latest developments about the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The U.S.Senate voted decisively on Tuesday to approve $95bn in aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwanas a bipartisan super-majority united to send the long-stalled package to Joe Biden‘s desk for signature. The final vote was 79 to 18.

The legislation includes $60.8bn to replenish Ukraine’s war chest as it seeks to repel Russia from its territory.

“Today the Senate sends a unified message to the entire world: America will always defend democracy in its hour of need,” said Chuck Schumer in a floor speech on Tuesday afternoon.

“Make no mistake, America will deliver on its promise to act like a leader on the world stage, to hold the line against autocratic thugs like Vladimir Putin,” he continued. “We are showing Putin that betting against America is always, always a grave mistake.”

More on that in a moment, but first, here are the other latest developments:

• The US Senate voted resoundingly on Tuesday to approve $95bn in wartime aid for Ukraine and Israel, along with defense support to Taiwan, as a bipartisan super-majority united to send the long-stalled package to Joe Biden’s desk for signature. The final vote was 79 to 18.

• In a call on Monday, Biden informed the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, that he would “move quickly” to send desperately needed military aid, https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1782452373358571536after the bill’s passage through the Senate.

• The legislation includes $60.8bn to replenish Ukraine’s war chest as it seeks to repel Russia from its territory; $26.3bn for Israel and humanitarian relief for civilians in conflict zones, including Gaza; and $8.1bn for the Indo-Pacific region to bolster its defenses against China.

• Russian missiles attacked a residential district of Kharkiv early on Wednesday, said the mayor, Ihor Terekhov. Information on casualties was being clarified, he added. Public broadcaster Suspilne said civil infrastructure had been destroyed in the assault. The air raid alert in Kharkiv region was subsequently lifted.

• Russian authorities have arrested Timur Ivanov, a deputy defense minister, on suspicion of taking an especially large bribe. Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti quoted Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov as saying that both Vladimir Putin, the president, and Sergei Shoigu, the defense minister, were informed. Ivanov, 48, is one of Russia’s 12 deputy defense ministers, and is under Europe and EU sanctions over the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

• Russian forces have made significant advances in a narrow corridor in eastern Ukraine, as an offensive to take territory before a fresh injection of western military aid arrives appears to be gathering pace, Dan Sabbagh in Kyiv and Luke Harding report. Footage from Kremlin military bloggers showed a Russian tricolor flying above the shattered village of Ocheretyne, north-west of the occupied town of Avdiivkaafter advancing about 5km in 10 days.

• Farther north, a large Russian offensive is under way to seize the town of Chasiv Yar. Ukraine’s eastern military command has said 20,000-25,000 enemy troops are trying to storm the hilltop town and surrounding districts.

• Ukraine’s foreign ministry is suspending consular services for military-age men living abroad, except for those heading back to Ukraine, in a move designed to increase prescription. Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said: “A man of conscription age went abroad, showed his state that he does not care about its survival, and then comes and wants to receive services from this state. It doesn’t work this way. Our country is at war.” Since Russia’s full-scale 2022 invasion, men between the ages of 18 and 60 have to stay in Ukraine, with exceptions. The Eurostat database estimates about 4.3 million Ukrainians were registered in European Union countries as of January 2024, of whom about 20% are adult men – roughly 860,000 people.

• Authorities in Ukraine’s Sumy oblast bordering Russia reported four injuries from 51 attacks by Russian forces on Tuesday.

• Emergency services in Russian-held parts of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region said a Ukrainian drone strike on Tuesday killed four people in a car north of the town of Melitopol.