Biden signs R1trn aid package for Kyiv

Washington – US President Joe Biden vowed to send fresh weapons to Ukraine within days as he yesterday signed an aid package including $61 billion or about R1 trillion meant to help Kyiv’s forces push back against Russia.

Congress on Tuesday approved the long-delayed legislation, which also contained a measure to ban TikTok in the United States if the popular social media app does not cut ties with its Chinese parent company.

Days after the Republican-led House of Representatives cleared the aid – part of a larger $95 billion package of assistance to allies including Israel and Taiwan – the Democratic-controlled Senate followed suit, passing it with bipartisan support on a 79-18 vote.

Passage of the Bill, which also provides much-needed humanitarian assistance to Gaza, Sudan and Haiti, comes after months of acrimonious debate among lawmakers over how or even whether to help Ukraine defend itself.

A similar aid package passed the Senate in February, but had been stalled in the House while Republican Speaker Mike Johnson – heeding calls from ex-president Donald Trump and his allies – demanded concessions from Biden on immigration policies, before a sudden reversal.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who visited Washington in December to plead for aid, quickly thanked US lawmakers for passing the Bill, saying on social media that he looked “forward to the Bill being signed soon and the next military aid package matching the resoluteness that I always see in our negotiations”.

“Ukraine’s long-range capabilities, artillery, and air defense are critical for restoring peace.” –