Congress is poised to approve nearly $40 billion in additional military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine, outstripping President Biden’s $33 billion request and extending a fresh lifeline to Kyiv, Washington Post reports.
The House approved the proposal late Tuesday on a 368-to-57 vote, with the Senate likely to follow suit as early as this week. Passage of the measure would bring the total amount of Ukrainian aid provided by Congress since the Feb. 24 to more than $53 billion.
The bill includes almost $15 billion earmarked for military equipment, training, intelligence support and Ukrainian defense force salaries. A further $14 billion would be allocated for nonmilitary support, including humanitarian aid, and another $5 billion would address global food security issues.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urged lawmakers to pass the measure in an open letter ahead of the debate.
“The ability to draw upon existing [Defense Department] stocks has been a critical tool in our efforts to support the Ukrainians in their fight against Russian aggression,” the letter reads. “In short, we need your help.”
Aid for Ukraine has so far drawn bipartisan support, including a House vote of 417 to 10 to pass a lend-lease bill expediting weapons shipments to Ukraine - a measure that Biden signed into law on Monday.
