President Zelensky said the $61 billion aid showed that the US stood by Ukraine and that the country would not become "another Afghanistan".
After months of delay, the US House of Representatives voted on April 20 to pass a $95 billion foreign aid bill, including nearly $61 billion for Ukraine. The Senate began considering the bill on April 23 and is almost certain to pass it, clearing the way for President Joe Biden to sign it into law.
"This aid will strengthen Ukraine and send a strong signal to the Kremlin that this will not be another Afghanistan. The United States will stand by Ukraine, protect Ukrainians and defend democracy in the world ," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 21.
In August 2021, the US withdrew all its forces from Afghanistan, ending its nearly 20-year military campaign in the country. Without US support, Afghan forces were weakened and no longer had the strength to resist the Taliban, losing control of the country to them.
Ukrainian President Zelensky said some of his forces were also “exhausted”. “We need to reorganise them. But with new brigades, they need equipment,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Vilnius, Lithuania, on April 11. Photo: AFP
The United States has been the main military aid provider to Ukraine since the country began its conflict with Russia in February 2022. However, the US Congress has been unable to approve large-scale aid to Ukraine for nearly a year and a half, largely due to Republican obstruction.
The delay in US aid has caused many difficulties for Ukrainian forces. This nearly 61 billion USD aid bill is what the Ukrainian government has been waiting for and had to convince the US Congress many times.
Of the $60.84 billion package for Ukraine, about $23 billion will be used by the United States to replenish military stockpiles, facilitating future military transfers to Ukraine. $14 billion will be for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, in which the Pentagon purchases advanced new weapons systems for the Ukrainian military directly from U.S. contractors.
$11 billion is intended to fund ongoing U.S. military operations in the region, improve the capabilities of the Ukrainian military, and increase intelligence cooperation between Kiev and Washington. About $8 billion is for non-military assistance, which helps the Ukrainian government maintain basic operations such as paying salaries and pensions.
Ngoc Anh (According to AFP )
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