US Congress releases $40 billion for Ukraine
The US Congress released a gigantic $40 billion package for Ukraine on Thursday, as the Pentagon warns of a long-term conflict.
Within this large aid package: 6 billion dollars to enable Ukraine to equip itself with armored vehicles and to strengthen its anti-aircraft defence.
« We continue to believe that this conflict will last, » a senior US Department of Defense official told reporters on Thursday.
The American and Russian chiefs of staff, on the same day, spoke on the telephone, for the first time since the beginning of the Russian invasion.
« The Russians still have at their disposal a significant part of the capabilities they had amassed since the fall » at the borders, he stressed, believing that the Russian army was managing to strengthen its control over Donbass and the south. from the country.
The colossal envelope of the Congress also provides nearly 9 billion dollars to ensure, among other things, « the continuity of Ukrainian democratic institutions », as well as a large humanitarian component.
More than « charity »
« Aid measures for Ukraine are much more than simple charity, » assured the leader of the Republicans in the Senate, Mitch McConnell.
« When it comes to Putin, we choose to either pay now or pay him later, » argued Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, not really known for supporting Joe Biden’s policies.
Rare fact in a Congress so accustomed to political quarrels: these 40 billion dollars of expenditure – the equivalent of the GDP of Cameroon in 2020 – benefited from very broad cross-partisan support.
The bill, already validated by the elected members of the House last week, only has to be ratified by President Joe Biden, who has been calling for a quick vote for several weeks, under penalty of seeing the aid to Ukraine.
The latter, on his way to a tour of Asia, « applauded » in a press release this vote by Congress, which « sends the message to the world (…) that the United States stands alongside the Ukrainian people ».
His administration, pending this new massive influx of funds, validated Thursday a new component of military assistance for an amount of 100 million dollars, bringing to 3.9 billion in total the aid already provided by the United States, in the form of weapons and equipment.
Beyond this massive financial and logistical effort, the United States continues to deploy all its diplomatic power to ever closer Western ranks against Moscow.
NATO
Joe Biden welcomed with great solemnity on Thursday Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, who have just formalized their application for NATO membership, breaking with their historic position of non-alignment.
The two countries meet « all the criteria » to join NATO and have « the full and complete support of the United States of America », assured the Democratic leader.
Joe Biden has announced that he is seizing Congress to approve « as quickly as possible » this enlargement of the Atlantic alliance, which the United States holds for a tactical triumph against Moscow.
Ratification should be a formality: like aid to Ukraine, welcoming Finland and Sweden into NATO is a consensus among parliamentarians on both sides.
After being confined to weapons seen as defensive, Washington is now sending artillery, helicopters and drones to the Ukrainian army, whose soldiers are trained in the use of these weapons in the United States or in third countries before returning to the front. .
Some 9 billion dollars of the funds that Congress has approved must also allow the Americans to replenish their own armament stocks.
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