The United States Congress will take a first step on Tuesday to approve a new aid package for Ukraine, of almost 40,000 million dollars, in line with the unfailing support of the president Joe Biden to kyiv in the conflict with Russia.
“With this aid program, the United States is sending a signal to the world of our unwavering determination to support the brave people of Ukraine until victory” against Moscow, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a letter to lawmakers. .
The package includes 6,000 million dollars that will allow Ukraine equip itself with armored vehicles and strengthen its anti-aircraft defense at a time when fighting continues in the east and south of the country.
About 9,000 million dollars are also planned to guarantee, among other things, “the continuity of Ukrainian democratic institutions”, as well as a large humanitarian component to face the invasion ordered by the Russian president. Vladimir Putin since last February 24.
For several weeks, Biden has been asking the US Congress for $33 billion to help Ukraine. But on Monday night Democratic and Republican legislative leaders agreed to increase aid even more, reaching a compromise of close to $40 billion.
Barring a big surprise, House members should give their approval to this package Tuesday night, before a Senate vote later this week or early next week.
“Approving this emergency funding quickly is essential to help the Ukrainian people in their fight against cruel Putin,” the leader of the Senate Democrats insisted on Tuesday. Chuck Schumer.
In a Congress accustomed to political bickering, these measures enjoy very broad bipartisan support.
Urgency
Biden urged Congress to “immediately” vote on this funding, according to a statement Monday. According to the US executive, there is an urgency.
“We assess that President Putin is preparing for a protracted conflict in Ukraine,” said the director of national intelligence, Avril Haines, in an audience at the Capitol, seat of Congress.
Biden noted that the resources provided by the United States to help Ukraine will run out in ten days.
“We cannot let our aid distributions stop waiting for a decision from Congress,” said the US president, who regularly expresses his desire to lead the great fight of democracies against authoritarian regimes.
About $9 billion of these funds will also allow Americans to replenish their own weapons stockpiles.
A traditional foreign policy ally of US presidents, Congress already released almost 14 billion dollars for the Ukraine crisis in mid-March, after listening to the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky Compare your country’s conflict to the darkest hours in American history, such as the attack on Pearl Harbor and the attacks of September 11, 2001.
Two Senate heavyweights, Republican Lindsey Graham and Democrat Richard Blumenthal, advanced in the fight against Moscow Tuesday, introducing a resolution urging the US diplomat to include Russia on the US blacklist of “states that support terrorism.”
Four countries are on this list: CubaIran, Syria and North Korea.
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