[北京／ワシントン ２４日 ロイター] – On the night of the 23rd, the US Senate passed the $95 billion Ukraine-Israel-Taiwan aid bill with a vote of 79-18. This opened a new avenue for financial aid to Ukraine, which is currently at a disadvantage to Russia due to a lack of supplies.
The bill passed the House of Representatives on the 20th. President Biden has indicated that he intends to sign it on the 24th.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed his gratitude for approving the “vital” aid to Ukraine. “This vote strengthens America’s role as a beacon of democracy and leader of the free world,” he wrote on the messaging app Telegram.
The bill would provide $61 billion for Ukraine and $26 billion for humanitarian assistance to Israel and civilians in conflict zones around the world. It will also direct $8.12 billion to “counter communist China” in the Indo-Pacific.
The Biden administration has already prepared $1 billion in military aid for Ukraine, and this will be the first round of aid under the bill, according to a senior administration official. It includes vehicles, anti-aircraft missiles “Stinger”, anti-tank missiles “TOW” and “Javelin”, and other weapons that can be used immediately on the battlefield.
“This national security bill is one of the most important measures ever passed by Congress to protect the security of the United States and Western democracies,” Senate Democratic Leader Schumer said at a press conference after the vote.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate, expressed regret at the delay in providing aid to Ukraine, and said at a press conference, “I think the isolationist movement has come to an end.”
The $10 billion in economic aid included in the funding for Ukraine comes in the form of a loan proposed by former President Trump. However, starting in 2026, the president will be able to forgive the loans.
Analysts say the arms supply to Ukraine increases the chances of preventing a Russian military advance in the east, but would have been more beneficial if it had been carried out at the time Mr. Biden requested it last year.
As for financial aid to Israel, it is unclear how it will affect the conflict in the Palestinian autonomous region of Gaza.
The progress of the bill has also been closely watched by the industrial world, as U.S. defense companies have signed large contracts to supply equipment to countries such as Ukraine.
On the 24th, the Taiwan Office of the State Council, which is in charge of China’s Taiwan policy, expressed its “firm opposition” to the inclusion of military aid to Taiwan in four bills passed by the U.S. Congress.
China has called on the United States to fulfill its promise not to support Taiwan’s independence through concrete actions, and to stop militarizing Taiwan in any way, said a spokesperson for the Chinese general office.
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Patricia Zengerle has reported from more than 20 countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and China. An award-winning Washington-based national security and foreign policy reporter who also has worked as an editor, Patricia has appeared on NPR, C -Span and other programs, spoken at the National Press Club and attended the Hoover Institution Media Roundtable. She is a recipient of the Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence.
Tags: #U.S Senate passes UkraineIsrael aid bill expected enacted #24th Reuters
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