US Senate approves $40 billion in aid to Ukraine


| Photo: Martin Falbisoner/Wikimedia Commons
The measure, which was endorsed with the vote in favor of 86 senators – only 11 voted against – and which had already been previously approved by the House of Representatives, will soon be signed by President Joe Biden to take effect.
The resources approved by Congress are even greater than the US$ 540 billion that Biden had asked lawmakers in April to support Kyiv in the war against Moscow.
“With this approval, the Senate can tell the Ukrainian people that aid is already it’s on its way. Important help, help that can help Ukrainians emerge victorious,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schummer.
In turn, the leader of the Republicans, Mitch McConnell, said that aid to Ukraine “is much more than charity”, since “US security and its main strategic interests will be determined by the result of this fight”.
Last Saturday (), McConnell, Senator for the State of Kentucky, and three other Republican Senators, Susan Collins (Maine), John Barrasso (Wyoming) and John Cornyn (Texas) visited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv in a show of solidarity with the country.
The package was supported by all senators Democrats and almost all Republicans, with the exception of 11.
The same package had been approved last week by the House of Representatives, with 368 votes in favor and 57 against.
The approval of these US$ 372 billion comes at a time when the government is about to run out of US$ aid 13,6 billion that Congress passed in March, after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.
The new package provides for the shipment of weapons and ammunition, although it also includes direct economic assistance and humanitarian aid, such as the shipment of food.
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