The Senate approved by an awesome majority $95.3 billion Development Assistance The funding package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan was passed on April 23, 2024, after months of political infighting led to the bill being stalled within the House of Representatives. About $61 billion of this aid package will probably be spent on Ukraine, while $26 billion will go to Israel. Another $8 billion is earmarked for Taiwan.
President Joe Biden has announced this Sign the bill inside days.
The Senate voted 79-18 in favor of the help package late Tuesday night, while the House passed the bill on April 20 with a rare bipartisan coalition voting 311-112 for aid to Ukraine.
“Today The result confirms something else We have emphasized from the start of this Congress. “In a divided government, the only way to ever get things done is through bipartisanship,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, said on April 23, before thanking House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican that he had advanced the laws.
This is what the brand new laws means US military supplies could possibly be moved to Ukraine inside a number of days.
The Ukrainian president will turn into president initially of April 2024 Volodymyr Zelensky laid out the stakes for US support and said: “If Congress does not help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war.” Russia had increased its numbers Bombing of Ukraine in recent months and the battle lines between Russia and Ukraine have little moved prior to now yr.
Pressure on lawmakers to pass the relief package increased afterward Iran's drone missile attack about Israel on April 14, 2024.
The USA was the one largest individual donor They have supported Ukraine since Russian troops invaded the country in February 2022. Since then, the US has sent Ukraine about 113 billion dollars in a mix of money, military supplies and machinery, in addition to food and other humanitarian supplies.
As a scholar of Eastern Europe, I believe there are several vital explanation why the U.S. has lots at stake in supporting Ukraine.
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Republicans divided over aid to Ukraine
Since February 2024, Johnson had delayed initiating a vote on the Ukrainian development aid law within the House of Representatives for several reasons. One The major factor was the fight between the Republicans, who’ve a narrow majority within the House of Representatives.
While a number of centrist Republican politicians supported funding for Ukraine and pushed for a vote on the foreign aid package, while others – far-right Republicans – wanted a corresponding bill prioritized what they believed to be American interestswhich suggests a greater deal with domestic US problems.
Another problem was threats from other Republicans to remove Johnson from his leadership role.
Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky Johnson called resigned and joined Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia filed an application on March 22, 2024to trigger a vote that might oust Johnson from his leadership position within the House of Representatives.
Finally, in keeping with reports, Johnson I made a decision on the concept that supporting the laws was the proper decision — and turned to Democrats on the opposite side to assist him push the bills through.
Delays in Ukraine profit Putin
While the House of Representatives stalled on a vote, so did Ukraine Rationing ammunition and extra equipment. This, in turn, provided Russia with a possibility to strengthen its arsenal.
Delays in foreign aid to Ukraine are giving Putin time to maneuver forward together with his plans to purchase ballistic missiles from Iran. John, spokesman for the National Security Council Kirby expressed concerns At the start of January 2024, it was said that Russia was near acquiring short-range ballistic weapons from Iran.
Russia is already buying Drones from Iran And Ballistic missiles from North Korea.
In February, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan noted that Ukrainian forces lost a crucial resistance center in eastern Ukraine called Avdiivka to Russia as a result of an absence of ammunition.
Without foreign aid from the United States, Ukraine faces a strategic drawback that might end in Russia winning the war. This may lead to Russia increasing its threats nearby NATO countries.
The US needs Europe to compete with China
There are different reasons Why many experts think It helps the US support Ukraine. One factor is the worldwide power of the USA Competition with China.
Russian and Chinese leaders said a Military and political partnership Days before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. They announced on April 9, 2024 that they wanted to search out ways to do that strengthen their joint security work throughout Asia and Europe.
U.S. political and military leaders have noted that supporting Ukraine and acting against Russia is a transparent option to deter China from increasing its global political power and military reach.
Navy Admiral Samuel J. Paparo said this in February 2024 Russia's potential loss in Ukraine is “a deterrent in the Western Pacific and directly reassures partners.”
The admiral said China was exploring the invasion of Ukraine for its own purposes, to “bring about a short, sharp conflict that presents the entire world with a fait accompli.” He called on the USA to accomplish that proceed to finance The war in Ukraine.
The US needs its long-time allies in Europe to defend itself against China – and deterrence is barely one tool effective as the dimensions of the force do the deterrent.
Ely Ratner, the US assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, recently explained this principle and because it pertains to China: “We believe deterrence is real and strong, and we work every day to keep it that way.”
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Foreign aid advantages the US defense industry
The majority of American military aid to Ukraine consists of weapons and ammunition from existing US stockpiles. More than a 3rd of the $61 billion in spending includes $23 billion for arms replenishment and ammunition systems for the US military.
In December 2023, Biden signed a U.S. defense policy bill authorizing this a record $886 billion on spending from July 2023 to June 2024. This features a 5.2% pay increase for troops and $11.5 billion to support initiatives to discourage China and $800 million to support Ukraine's counteroffensive war.
But it also allows the acquisition of latest ships, aircraft and other forms of ammunition. For defense stocks, this implies a promising begin to 2024because the military is more likely to increase revenues for defense contractors trying to replenish their supplies to Ukraine.
Americans proceed to support aid to Ukraine
A big a part of the Americans are still for it The US supports Ukraine, although about half of Republicans said in December 2023 that the US does give an excessive amount of money to the country.
Although politicians don’t all the time follow public opinion, there are clear explanation why it’s in one of the best interest of the United States to proceed funding Ukraine.
This story is an update to a previous article published on April 10, 2023.
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