US Senate approves more than $40 billion in aid for Ukraine.
The U.S. Senate on Dec. 22 approved a $1.7 trillion spending bill for 2023, including more than $40 billion in aid for Ukraine.
The bill includes $9 billion to provide assistance, including training, equipment, weapons, logistics support, supplies and services, salaries and stipends, sustainment, and intelligence support to Ukraine’s military.
It also provides $2.4 billion for Ukrainian arrivals and refugees, $2.47 billion to address the humanitarian needs of Ukraine, and $13.37 billion in economic and budgetary support for the Ukrainian government, including support for Ukraine’s energy security and other critical infrastructure needs.
The bill increases the president’s authority to transfer defense equipment to Ukraine to $14.5 billion.
The measure was passed a day after President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Washington.
Zelensky arrived in the U.S. on Dec. 21 on his first trip abroad since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
He met with U.S. President Joe Biden and delivered a speech at Congress, thanking the country for support and urging lawmakers to continue assisting Ukraine.
Before the face-to-face meeting with Zelensky, the Biden administration announced a new $1.85 billion military aid package for Ukraine, including Patriot air defense systems.
The assistance will include a $1 billion drawdown to provide Ukraine with “expanded air defense and precision-strike capabilities,” as well as “an additional $850 million of security assistance,” according to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
