As he runs for reelection, President Joe Biden achieved a rare bipartisan triumph on Wednesday by signing a hard-fought bill into law that would deliver billions of dollars in additional U.S. help to Ukraine for its conflict with Russia. This puts an end to months of back-and-forth with Republicans in Congress.
“It gives vital support to America’s partners so they can defend themselves from threats to their sovereignty,” Biden stated.
In addition to $26 billion for Israel and $61 billion for Ukraine, the plan also includes $8 billion to offset China’s military power and $1 billion in humanitarian relief for Gaza.
The impact of the legislation was immediate. Biden said he had approved an initial $1 billion in weapons supplies for Ukraine and that the flow of these arms would start within hours.
The initial aid package includes vehicles, Stinger air defense munitions, additional ammunition for high-mobility artillery rocket systems, 155mm artillery ammunition, TOW and Javelin anti-tank munitions and other weapons that can immediately be put to use on the battlefield.
Biden, a Democrat who is expected to face Republican former President Donald Trump in the November election, had pressed lawmakers for six months to approve more funding for Ukraine, which has been fighting a full-scale Russian invasion for more than two years. Trump objected to the Ukraine aid, and some Republicans in Congress refused to back it, questioning whether Ukraine could ever prevail.
Biden thanked House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, the top Republican in Washington, for breaking the deadlock on the legislation and vowed to return soon to addressing border security, a top issue for Republicans.
