Ukraine US House approves $61 billion in vital help for the Russia conflict

Ukraine US House approves $61 billion in vital help for the Russia conflict

In order to assist Ukraine fight Russia's invasion, the House of Representatives has finally authorized billions of dollars in fresh US military aid.

Congress heard strong opposition to the much-delayed proposal, and only a tenuous bipartisan agreement allowed the $61 billion (£49 billion) package to pass.

Now the question is not "whether" but "when" deadly help will come; certain reports indicate that it may happen as soon as possible.

"Vital" was how Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky characterized US assistance.

Mr. Zelensky expressed his thanks by saying, "As long as America helps to protect it, democracy and freedom are going to retain global significance as well as will never fail."

He went on to say that the supplies will save thousands of lives and prevent the violence from spreading.

In response, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, said that the package would "make the United States of America richer, further ruin Ukraine, as well as result in the deaths of even more Ukrainians".

In February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of tens of thousands of people, mostly military, on both sides and the forced migration of millions of Ukrainians from their homes.

Passed on Saturday, the international assistance package also consists of:

$26.4 billion for Israel's military defense, with $9.1 billion going for Gaza's humanitarian needs

$8.1 billion in financing to "counter communist China" for friends in the Asia-Pacific region, including Taiwan.

A measure that would have required the TikTok social media platform's Chinese owner to sell its shares or risk being banned in the US was also approved by the House.

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When it cleared the House by a vote of 311 to 112, there were cheers and clapping, and several Representatives waved Ukrainian flags.

The next step is for the Senate to approve it, which should happen within the next several days, after which President Joe Biden will sign it into law.

Mr. Biden welcomed the outcome, applauding the bipartisan effort to "answer history's call" and requesting that the Senate act swiftly to pass it "so that I can sign it into law and we can quickly send weapons and equipment to Ukraine to connect with their urgent battlefield needs".

The substantial increase in funding, according to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, would complement the tens of billions of euros that Ukraine is already receiving from its European partners.

EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel stated in a joint statement that "Ukraine deserves all the support it can get against Russia."

Oleksandr Merezhko, the chairman of Ukraine's foreign affairs committee, called the vote a "historic resolution" that would "definitely save lots of lives of our civilians and our soldiers" in an interview with BBC World Service's Newshour program.

"It gives us strength, it gives us courage and resolve to continue to fight, therefore I'm sure that what's going on at the front will soon change in our favour," he said.

Ukraine, which depends heavily on Western armaments, is in dire need of assistance as it fights to stave off Russian forces who have been advancing steadily into its territory in recent weeks.

On a front line spanning more than 1,200 km (745 miles), Ukrainian forces are forced to ration artillery rounds due to a shortage of ammunition.

Without US assistance, Mr. Zelensky and William Burns, the director of the CIA, have said that Ukraine would lose the war.

Moscow's territorial gains over the last six months and the difficulties other Western allies have had filling Washington's void have served as more evidence of that.

America's assistance is now bearing down on Ukraine once again.

While it gives Ukraine more time to fight and avoid the negotiation table, this is hardly the magic pill that will help it win the conflict.

BBC confirms 50,000 Russian troops are dead.

Ahead of the delayed US assistance decision, Ukraine issues a warning about World War Three.

Republicans have been delaying the House vote for months, citing concerns about transferring money abroad rather than addressing the US-Mexico border dispute.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, a Republican, said that he wanted to get the legislation through even if it meant risking his job.

It passed on Saturday with a sizable majority, but those figures hide the growing political differences on the matter.

Republicans supported the proposal by a margin of 112 to 101, while all 210 Democrats voted in favor of it.

That may indicate difficulties for Mr. Johnson. He is already facing calls from three House Republicans to resign as Speaker. Next week, they could even compel a vote on the issue.

US Speaker could incur political costs for the Ukraine agreement

Although the fresh help worth billions of dollars is anticipated to keep the Ukrainian war effort going for months, further US backing seems improbable if Republicans seize control of Congress or the White House.