US Congress to approve additional $40 bln for Ukraine
The United States is sending further supplies to Ukraine once more after already having pledged billions to the country amid the ongoing war there.
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Ukrainian servicemen load a truck with the FGM-148 Javelin provided by the United States to Kiev (AFP)
The US Congress prepared Thursday to allocate $40 billion in funds for Ukraine as promised by President Joe Biden to affirm Washington's support for Kiev in light of the war unfolding in the Eastern European country.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell described the aid as essential for the United States, stressing that "the future of American security and core strategic interests will be shaped by the outcome of this fight" in reference to the war in Ukraine.
His words came hours before the Congress' upper chamber is expected to vote in favor of the package in an unusual majority in Washington.
The "aid package" is to include $6 billion allocated for Ukraine to boost its armored vehicle inventory and air defense system.
An additional nearly $9 billion are allocated to help Ukraine with "continuity of government", among other items.
Congress has already approved almost $14 billion for Ukraine in mid-March, only weeks after the war broke out in the country.
Amid the latest developments, Biden has been urging Washington to give Ukraine more money for weeks, stressing that funds designated to support Kiev were about to run out.
The US House of Representatives already approved the $40 billion last week, and it is currently pending approval from the Senate.
The United States first started supplying Ukraine with weapons labeled as defensive, but later on, it started sending artillery, helicopters, and UAVs to the Ukrainian army. Not only that, but Washington trained Kiev's troops on using the equipment in third countries.
Congress also allocated another $9 billion of the package to help the US re-supply its own weapons back-stock.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the United States had already given Kiev some $1 billion in economic aid, in addition to an additional $500 million cleared last week, not to mention the military aid the United States gave to Kiev since Biden took office.
The US is still sending arms to Ukraine despite the Russian ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, warning that the influx of Western arms to the conflict zone in Ukraine was adding fuel to the fire.
