The US House of Representatives passed a $95 billion foreign aid bill, including nearly $61 billion for Ukraine, an outcome eagerly awaited by Kiev.
The vote in the US House on April 20 on approving funding for Ukraine resulted in 311 in favor and 112 against.
Among Republican lawmakers, 112 opposed the bill while 101 supported it.
Next, the bill will be sent to the Senate, where the Democrats hold the majority and a similar measure was passed over two months ago. US leaders, from Democratic President Joe Biden to Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, have all urged House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring this issue to a vote.
The Senate will begin considering the bill on April 23. The final decision is almost certain to be passed, paving the way for President Biden to sign it into law.
The spending bill provides $60.84 billion for military support to Ukraine, including $23 billion to supplement weapons, stockpiles, and infrastructure provided by the US, $26 billion for Israel, and $8.12 billion for the Indo-Pacific region. The bill had been delayed for months due to opposition from some Republican members of the House.
The spending package also includes provisions for transferring frozen Russian assets to Ukraine, sanctions targeting Iran, Hamas forces, and requiring China’s ByteDance company to sell the TikTok platform or face a ban in the US.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude, stating that US lawmakers have acted to “keep history on the right track.”
“The important US aid bill passed by the House today will prevent conflicts from spreading, save thousands upon thousands of lives, and help both our nations become stronger,” he wrote on social media X.
“This comes at an extremely urgent time, as Israel faces unprecedented attacks from Iran and Ukraine endures continuous shelling from Russia,” declared President Biden, who has consistently urged Congress to approve additional aid for Ukraine since last year.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the latest news. “This significant increase in aid will supplement the tens of billions of dollars in aid that European allies have provided to Ukraine,” he said.
Meanwhile, far-right Republican lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene immediately criticized House Speaker Johnson. “Mike Johnson is a lame duck… he’s done,” she told reporters after the vote results were announced.
Greene vehemently opposes assisting Ukraine in its confrontation with Russia, warning she would remove Johnson from office over this issue.
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the vote results had been anticipated. “It will only enrich the US further and harm Ukraine even more,” he said.
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