Biden approves $95 billion aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan
President Joe Biden has just signed a bill to provide aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan totaling $95 billion. Kyiv is set to receive nearly $61 billion, signaling the end of a prolonged dispute in the USA over the issue. Biden said the initial weapons shipments would be dispatched to the front "in the next few hours."
12:09 PM EDT, April 24, 2024
Joe Biden signed the bill that was passed by the Senate. "It's going to make America safer, it's going to make the world safer and it continues America's leadership in the world and everyone knows it," - states.
He highlighted that the bill "gives vital support to America 's partners so they can defend themselves from threats to their sovereignty."
"If Putin takes Ukraine, he won’t stop there" the President of the United States pointed out, "we’ll have something that we don't seek and that we don't have today: American troops fighting Russian troops".
The US would soon commence the delivery of equipment to Ukraine, encompassing ammunition for air defense systems and artillery, missile systems, and armored vehicles, "in the next few hours".
Ukraine breathes a sigh of relief following Biden's decision
The bill earmarks $60.8 billion for military and economic support for Ukraine, $26 billion for arms to Israel plus humanitarian aid for the Palestinians, and $8 billion for weapon acquisitions by Taiwan, bolstering security in the Indo-Pacific region.
Furthermore, the bill introduces provisions for additional sanctions against Iran and Russia, authorizes the president to reallocate frozen Russian assets ($4-5 billion) in support of Ukraine, and includes a mandate for the Chinese owners of TikTok to divest the application within 12 months.
As per announcements from the Pentagon and the White House, the first batch of support—valued at $1 billion—will encompass artillery ammunition and air defense missiles.
Senators from both major parties anticipate that the new bill will facilitate the delivery of ATACMS ballistic missiles with a range of 300 km (approximately 186 miles) to Ukraine. The US has provided Ukraine with a limited quantity of ATACMS, albeit in a version with half the range.
