US Senate passes Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan bill; Biden to sign on Wednesday
Al Jazeera
US president says new weapons shipment could be on its way to Ukraine as soon as this week.
The United States Senate has passed a long-delayed multibillion-dollar aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, paving the way for new weapons deliveries to Kyiv as soon as this week.
The Democratic-controlled Senate passed the measure, held up for months by right-wing Republicans and part of a four-bill package, by 79 votes to 18 late on Tuesday night in the US.
“I will sign this bill into law and address the American people as soon as it reaches my desk tomorrow so we can begin sending weapons and equipment to Ukraine this week,” President Joe Biden said in a statement shortly afterwards.
Much of the assistance in the $95bn package is for Ukraine, which has struggled to fend off Russian forces along its 1,000km (600-mile) front line as weapons have dwindled.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed its final passage.
