The latest request, which dwarfs earlier spending in the fight, transmits a signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin that the United States is determined to weaken Russia and supercharge Ukrainian forces as Kyiv and Moscow face off in eastern Ukraine.
“The cost of this fight is not cheap, but caving to aggression is going to be more costly if we allow it to happen,” Biden declared in a speech at the White House on Thursday.
The extra funding “is what we believe is needed to enable Ukraine’s success over the next five months of this war,” a senior administration official informed reporters ahead of the announcement.
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The bill is set to include $20 billion in military and weapons assistance, $8.5 billion in economic aid, and $3 billion in humanitarian and food assistance, renew U.S. stockpiles of key systems, and help other nations shift their dependence on Russian weapons, according to an official.
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President Biden asserted the money would prove essential to keeping Ukraine’s economy running, as forecasts predict it could shrink by 45% this year.
“It’s also going to help schools and hospitals open. It’s gonna allow pensions and social support to be paid to the Ukrainian people so they have something in their pocket,” stated Biden.
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