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The Senate is on track to pass a $40 billion emergency aid package to buttress Ukraine with weapons and other military help as the Eastern European country fends off the Russian invasion.
The chamber is expected to clear the legislation for President Joe Biden’s signature on Thursday, with no time to spare before the Pentagon said it would exhaust its power to send weapons to Ukraine from U.S. stockpiles. Top lawmakers in both parties insist the multibillion-dollar injection is just what Ukraine needs to bolster its defenses as Russia approaches its fourth month of conflict.
The deal marks the most substantial U.S. commitment yet to helping Ukraine as the war grinds on and Russia’s invasion focuses on the eastern Donbas region. It dwarfs the nearly $14 billion in emergency funding Congress approved in March and is even larger than the $33 billion emergency request Biden sent lawmakers last month.
“Aid for Ukraine goes far beyond charity,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the floor Thursday. “The future of America’s security and core strategic interests will be shaped by the outcome of this fight.”
The Republican leader predicted the passage vote would be “a big bipartisan landslide,” despite some opposition expected from Republicans embracing the non-interventionism promoted by former President Donald Trump.
The Senate is expected to pass the bill with overwhelming support, just as theHouse approved the measure 368-57 last week.
“Anyone concerned about the cost of supporting a Ukrainian victory should consider the much larger cost should Ukraine lose,” McConnell warned before the vote, calling on “every senator on both sides to join this bipartisan supermajority.”
Returning from a trip to Kyiv over the weekend, top Senate Republicans have spent the last few days reiterating the pleas of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in urging swift passage of the aid package that has been held up in the Senate for more than a week.
“What they’ve asked of us is to give them the tools that they need to fight their own fight,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said. “President Zelenskyy emphasized a message he’s consistently shared with us: We need more, and we need it faster — more Stingers, more Javelins, more air defenses, more lethal aid.”
The brunt of the new funding under the $40 billion aid package will go toward weapons and equipment for Ukraine. The measure gives the Pentagon a new $11 billion in authority to take those resources from U.S. stockpiles and ship them to the frontlines, plus almost $9 billion to backfill items already sent.
www.politico.com
The chamber is expected to clear the legislation for President Joe Biden’s signature on Thursday, with no time to spare before the Pentagon said it would exhaust its power to send weapons to Ukraine from U.S. stockpiles. Top lawmakers in both parties insist the multibillion-dollar injection is just what Ukraine needs to bolster its defenses as Russia approaches its fourth month of conflict.
The deal marks the most substantial U.S. commitment yet to helping Ukraine as the war grinds on and Russia’s invasion focuses on the eastern Donbas region. It dwarfs the nearly $14 billion in emergency funding Congress approved in March and is even larger than the $33 billion emergency request Biden sent lawmakers last month.
“Aid for Ukraine goes far beyond charity,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the floor Thursday. “The future of America’s security and core strategic interests will be shaped by the outcome of this fight.”
The Republican leader predicted the passage vote would be “a big bipartisan landslide,” despite some opposition expected from Republicans embracing the non-interventionism promoted by former President Donald Trump.
The Senate is expected to pass the bill with overwhelming support, just as theHouse approved the measure 368-57 last week.
“Anyone concerned about the cost of supporting a Ukrainian victory should consider the much larger cost should Ukraine lose,” McConnell warned before the vote, calling on “every senator on both sides to join this bipartisan supermajority.”
Returning from a trip to Kyiv over the weekend, top Senate Republicans have spent the last few days reiterating the pleas of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in urging swift passage of the aid package that has been held up in the Senate for more than a week.
“What they’ve asked of us is to give them the tools that they need to fight their own fight,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said. “President Zelenskyy emphasized a message he’s consistently shared with us: We need more, and we need it faster — more Stingers, more Javelins, more air defenses, more lethal aid.”
The brunt of the new funding under the $40 billion aid package will go toward weapons and equipment for Ukraine. The measure gives the Pentagon a new $11 billion in authority to take those resources from U.S. stockpiles and ship them to the frontlines, plus almost $9 billion to backfill items already sent.
Senate set to pass $40B Ukraine aid bill
The package will deliver the most significant U.S. contribution yet to aiding Ukraine as Russia encroaches on the eastern Donbas region.
www.politico.com
