(Dan Tri) – US President Joe Biden has signed a foreign aid package, including nearly 61 billion USD for Ukraine, after months of negotiations and debate.
US President Joe Biden (Photo: Reuters).
`I just signed into law the national security package that was passed by the House last weekend and passed by the Senate yesterday,` President Joe Biden announced on April 24.
President Biden said the US `assured aid shipments will begin to be delivered immediately, within the next few hours`.
The aid package is worth a total of 95 billion USD, including nearly 61 billion USD in aid to Ukraine, 26 billion USD for Israel and 8 billion USD for the Indo-Pacific region.
More than 1/3 of the new aid package for Ukraine, equivalent to 23.2 billion USD, is used to supplement weapons, infrastructure, and warehouses;
Kiev will also receive about $10 billion in `forgivable or deferred loans` to support Ukraine’s economy and budget, including support for the energy sector and infrastructure restoration.
In addition, more than 11 billion USD is used for current US military operations in the region.
The law stipulates that within 45 days of enactment, federal agencies must develop a multi-year strategy to continue assisting Ukraine in countering Russia.
The act also includes the transfer of the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), a long-range system first used by Ukraine against Russia in October 2023.
The signing of the aid package is the result of months of intense negotiations, personal lobbying from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and divisions within the Republican Party in the House of Representatives.
Pentagon officials said on April 19 that they were preparing the first round of aid and that Ukraine would receive the aid just days after President Joe Biden signed the law into law.
The first round of aid could focus on providing needed artillery and air defense systems to Ukraine.
Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said the US has a very strong logistics network that allows them to transport equipment very quickly.
However, experts warn it will take some time before the battlefield shows change.
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