The American House of Representatives adopted on Saturday April 20 a long-awaited envelope of 61 billion to help Ukraine at war against Russia. This military and economic assistance, the result of months of extremely tense and laborious negotiations, must now be approved in the Senate, where a first vote could take place as early as Tuesday.
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After long and difficult negotiations, the Chamber American representatives adopted on Saturday April 20 a major plan to help Ukraine and Taiwan, supported by elected officials from both sides. She must now decide on assistance to Israel.
Parliamentarians voted in quick succession on this gigantic envelope of 95 billion dollars, requested for months by President Joe Biden. The text was split in several votes and includes an aid plan for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan as well as provisions regarding TikTok. This strategy was chosen by Mike Johnson to circumvent political divisions and the blockade imposed for months by a handful of Trumpists, recalls our correspondent in New York, Loubna Anaki. This allowed him to benefit from each of these votes from the support of different political groups, especially on the Democratic side.
Parliamentarians finally voted for the long-awaited envelope of 61 billion to come to the aid of Ukraine at war against Russia. In the hemicycle, some waved Ukrainian flags as a sign of support for kyiv, to the boos of Trumpist elected officials. This aid will allow Ukraine to acquire American anti-aircraft defense systems, while Russian domination of the skies still severely limits the response capabilities of the Ukrainian army. A significant part of this aid will also be used to replenish United States munitions stocks.
US President Joe Biden welcomed the adoption of a “ crucial help » to Ukraine and Israel, to « meeting of history “. This envelope sends “ a clear message about the power of American leadership throughout the world “, affirmed the democratic leader. He urged the Senate to approve these envelopes as quickly as possible.
A welcome vote
American aid will save thousands and thousands of lives », welcomed, for his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after the vote. “ The life-saving relief bill passed today by the House of Representatives will prevent war from spreading, save thousands upon thousands of lives, and help our two nations become stronger “, he wrote on X, saying to himself “ grateful » towards American elected officials.
I am grateful to the United States House of Representatives, both parties, and personally Speaker Mike Johnson for the decision that keeps history on the right track.
Democracy and freedom will always have global significance and will never fail as long as America helps to…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 20, 2024
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg also welcomed the vote. “ I welcome the fact that the United States House of Representatives has approved a significant new aid package for Ukraine. Ukraine uses weapons supplied by NATO allies to destroy Russian combat capabilities. This strengthens the security of us all, in Europe and North America “, he declared on X.
“ I welcome the vote by the U.S. House of Representatives approving the crucial, long-awaited $60 billion in aid to Ukraine. This sends a clear message to the Kremlin: those who believe in freedom and the UN Charter will continue to support Ukraine and its people », declared Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, on X.
I welcome the vote of the US House of Representatives approving the – long overdue – crucial USD 60 billion aid package for Ukraine.
This sends a clear message to the Kremlin: Those who believe in freedom and UN charter will continue to support Ukraine and its people.
— Charles Michel (@CharlesMichel) April 20, 2024
American aid voted “ will kill even more Ukrainians because of the kyiv regime “, denounced the Kremlin for its part. “ The decision to provide aid to Ukraine was expected and predictable. It will further enrich the United States of America and ruin Ukraine even more, killing even more Ukrainians because of the Kiev regime », Assured the spokesperson for the Russian presidency, Dmitri Peskov, quoted by the state press agency Tass.
Standoff between Biden and Trump
Once all the measures have been adopted, they should be quickly examined by the Senate, which could examine the texts as early as Tuesday, indicated the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, Chuck Schumer. These measures are the result of months of acrimonious negotiations, comings and goings of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington and pressure from allies around the world. They even cost a Republican leader his job.
The financing of the war in Ukraine has been at the heart of all the tensions. The United States is kyiv’s main military backer, but Congress has not passed a major package for its ally in nearly a year and a half, mainly due to partisan squabbling.
Democratic President Joe Biden and his party in Congress are very supportive of new aid for Ukraine, at war with Russia. But the Republicans, led by Donald Trump, are increasingly reluctant to finance a conflict which is getting bogged down. In the middle of an election year, the issue has transformed into a remote duel between the two presidential candidates.
After months of procrastination, the Republican leader of the House, Mike Johnson, ended up supporting the $61 billion package for Ukraine. “ To put it bluntly: I would rather send ammunition to Ukraine than send our boys to fight “, he pleaded, not without a certain emotion, during a press conference. On the other hand, it could cost him his job. A handful of conservative elected officials, fiercely opposed to aid to Ukraine, have promised to do everything to dismiss the speaker in order to punish him for his support.
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