kyiv breathes a sigh of relief. After long and laborious negotiations, the American House of Representatives adopted, on Saturday April 20, a huge aid plan for Ukraine, supported by elected officials from both sides. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky immediately welcomed assistance which “will save thousands of lives”, while his counterpart Joe Biden judged that Congress was living up to “history”. Unsurprisingly, Russia claimed that this aid “will kill even more Ukrainians because of the Kiev regime”.
By 311 votes to 112, an envelope of 95 billion dollars (also intended for Taiwan and Israel) was released, including 60.8 billion (57 billion euros) planned to come to the aid of Ukraine. As the country’s munitions run out, the war-torn country continues to suffer Russian strikes. According to an official documentapproximately $23 billion would be used by the United States to replenish its military stockpiles (including ammunition and weapons), subsequently paving the way for future military transfers to Ukraine.
The kyiv authorities continue to demand more ammunition to repel the Kremlin forces. They have had to ration the use of artillery shells over the past four months, leading to the capture of the town of Avdiivka and other Russian gains. In addition to air defenses such as Patriot missiles, a new injection of shells “will have an immediate and positive impact on the course of the war”, says John E. Herbstsenior director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.
In the American plan, 11.3 billion are also planned to finance their current military operations in the region. Objective: strengthen the capabilities of the Ukrainian army and promote intelligence collaboration between kyiv and Washington.
The aid also includes $13.8 billion for Ukraine’s acquisition of U.S. defense systems. Moreover, 26 million will be released to continue monitoring and reporting on aid and equipment provided to Ukrainians. Finally, according to the British daily The Guardianthe plan contains $8 billion in non-military aid, for example to help the Ukrainian government continue its basic operations, including paying salaries and pensions.
“The finish line is now in sight”
The aid plan will begin to be examined on Tuesday April 23 by the Senate, which will act quickly, the leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, wrote in a press release. “The finish line is now in sight,” he added. The American president promised to immediately sign the aid plan. For his part, Volodymyr Zelensky said he was “grateful” to both parties in the House and “personally to President Mike Johnson for this decision which keeps history on the right track”.
The European Union welcomed the approval of aid to Ukraine, saying it was “a clear message to the Kremlin.” More circumspect, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a fervent defender of kyiv, thanked the United States but highlighted the delay in adopting the assistance. “Better late than never. And I hope it’s not too late for Ukraine,” he wrote on X.
The United States is kyiv’s main military supporter, but Congress had not passed a major package for its ally in nearly a year and a half, mainly due to partisan squabbling. While Democrat Joe Biden and his party in Congress were very favorable to new aid for Ukraine, the Republicans, led by Donald Trump, showed their reluctance.
After months of procrastination, the Republican leader of the House, Mike Johnson, ended up supporting the package for Ukraine. “We have done our job here, and I think history will judge that,” he assured. After Saturday’s vote, President Biden spoke with Mike Johnson and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries to “thank them for their influence and for pushing security through national” as a priority, according to the White House.
This aid plan – mainly military and economic assistance – also authorizes Joe Biden to confiscate and sell Russian assets so that they can be used to finance the reconstruction of Ukraine.