On Tuesday April 23, the American Congress adopted a gigantic package of military and economic assistance for Ukraine, the result of months of extremely tense and laborious negotiations.
Information to remember
⇒ Russia: energy sites on fire after drone attacks
⇒ The United States approves $61 billion in aid to Ukraine.
⇒ Ukraine suspends its consular services abroad.
Russia: energy sites on fire after drone attacks
Energy sites caught fire on Wednesday in the Smolensk region in western Russia after drone attacks, regional governor Vasily Anokhine said.
“Our region is once again targeted by Ukrainian drone attacks,” he wrote on Telegram. “Following the enemy’s attack on civilian energy infrastructure sites, fires broke out,” added the governor, without further details.
US Congress approves military aid to kyiv
American President Joe Biden affirmed, Tuesday, April 23, that the United States would “start sending weapons and equipment to Ukraine this week”, after the vote by Congress for highly anticipated aid by kyiv. The United States adopted on Tuesday a gigantic package of military and economic assistance for Ukraine, the result of months of extremely tense and laborious negotiations in Congress. The $95 billion aid plan, which includes funds for Israel, Taiwan and an ultimatum to TikTok, received overwhelming support in the US Senate.
President Joe Biden immediately announced that he was going to promulgate the text, adopted a few days earlier in the House of Representatives, the other component of the American Congress. Congress responded to “the call of history” with this law which aims to “strengthen our national security and send a message to the world about the power of American leadership,” Joe Biden added in a House press release. -White.
Zelensky says he is “grateful”
On social networks, his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky said he was “grateful to the United States Senate for having approved vital aid for Ukraine”. These funds are the result of months of extremely acrimonious negotiations, the comings and goings of the Ukrainian president in Washington, and pressure from allies around the world. According to him, “Ukraine’s long-range capabilities, artillery and air defense are essential tools to restore a just peace more quickly.”
The adoption of this $61 billion aid plan is a relief for the Ukrainian army, facing a shortage of new recruits and ammunition, in the face of constant pressure from Russian troops in the east.
The Republican leader in Congress ended up supporting the resumption of military and economic aid, with this justification: “I would rather send munitions to Ukraine than send our boys to fight.” This aid plan also authorizes President Biden to confiscate and sell Russian assets to be used to finance the reconstruction of Ukraine. An idea that is gaining ground with other G7 countries. A large part of the envelope will also be used to replenish the stocks of the American army and will return to arms factories in the United States.
New aid from the UK
At the same time, the United Kingdom will significantly increase its spending on defense by 2030, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced Tuesday in Warsaw, while committing to providing additional aid of 500 million pounds to Ukraine.
Visiting Poland, Rishi Sunak explained that this “biggest strengthening of national defense in a generation” was necessary when “an axis of autocratic states like Russia, Iran and China are increasingly working together to undermine democracies and reshape the world order.”
Ukraine pushes men of fighting age to return home
Faced with a shortage of soldiers, Ukraine announced on Tuesday that it had suspended its consular services for men aged 18 to 60 living abroad, with a view to bringing back strong forces to fight Russia . kyiv bans men of fighting age from traveling abroad with few exceptions. But according to media estimates, tens of thousands of men have fled the country illegally to avoid going to the front.
The authorities recently adopted a law on mobilization aimed at toughening punishments for recalcitrants. They also lowered the age of mobilization from 27 to 25 years. In this dynamic, Ukrainian diplomacy therefore announced Tuesday in a press release “a temporary suspension of the reception of new files for consular services” concerning men aged 18 to 60 living abroad. According to this source, only the issuance of “identity cards to enter Ukraine” is maintained for this category of men. The cessation of consular services could theoretically push Ukrainians to return to the country.
Russian minister accused of corruption in Mariupol
A Russian deputy defense minister, Timur Ivanov, has been arrested for alleged corruption, the Russian Investigative Committee announced on Tuesday, which did not provide further details. Timur Ivanov is subject to sanctions by the European Union as a senior Defense Ministry official responsible for the construction of military installations.
The Anti-Corruption Foundation, created by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, published an investigation into him in 2022. According to the investigation, the deputy minister oversaw and profited from construction projects in Mariupol, Ukraine, a city that fell under the control of Moscow after a siege lasting several months. According to the investigation by the organization, banned in Russia for “extremism”, the minister also divorced his wife to allow him to circumvent EU sanctions.