The US House of Representatives has passed a $95 billion security assistance package providing aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan with bipartisan support despite objections from Republican hardliners.
The legislation proceeded on Saturday to the Democratic-majority Senate, which passed a similar measure more than two months ago, the US media outlets reported.
US President Joe Biden said in a statement the legislation would "deliver critical support to Israel and Ukraine; provide desperately needed humanitarian aid to Gaza, Sudan, Haiti, and other locations... and bolster security and stability in the Indo-Pacific."
He praised lawmakers who came together across party lines "to answer history's call."
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the $61 billion earmarked for his country, saying the military and economic assistance would "save thousands and thousands of lives." Immediately after the bill passed, ZelenskIy released a statement expressing his gratitude to both parties “and personally Speaker Mike Johnson for the decision that keeps history on the right track”.
Russia, on the other hand, has a different point of view on the situation. Its Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, said the new US legislation would “deepen crisis throughout the world”. “Military assistance to the [Kyiv] regime is a direct sponsorship of terrorist activities,” Zakharova said on Telegram.
The bills provide about $61bn to address the conflict in Ukraine, including $23bn to replenish US weapons, stocks, and facilities; $26bn for Israel, including $9bn for humanitarian needs; and $8bn for Asia Pacific, including Taiwan, the AFP news agency reported.
The Senate is set to begin considering the House-passed bill on Tuesday, with some preliminary votes that afternoon. Final passage was expected sometime next week, which would clear the way for Biden to sign it into law, the British daily The Guardian writes.
(aj)
SOURCE: AFP, the Guardian, IAR