US President Jeo Biden on Monday signed a bill that will speed up the process of delivering Ukraine with the military assets it needs to battle Russia.
From the Oval Office, Biden stated, "I'm signing a bill that offers another important tool that directly aids the government of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in their struggle to protect their country and democracy against Putin's barbaric war." "Winning a fight isn't cheap, but giving in to violence is even more expensive," Biden added.
The Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022, signed by Biden, will make it simpler for the United States to lend or lease military help to allies affected by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Biden currently has some authority to lend or lease equipment, but the legislation he will sign will make some of the conditions easier to meet.
Ukraine can request faster supplies of US weaponry and other security support under the measure. The US will get assurances that the assets would be replaced or reimbursed at a later date.
The bill signed on Monday is reminiscent of the "Lend-Lease Act," which saw the United States finance allies, notably the Soviet Union, during World War II. The Biden administration also unveiled a new USD150 million weapons deal for Ukraine on Friday.
Since Moscow invaded its neighbour in late February, the newest military aid package, the ninth security assistance installment, takes the US military aid commitment to USD3.8 billion. The remaining USD250 million in presidential drawdown power, which authorise the president to remove unneeded weapons from US arsenals without legislative permission, was pledged on Friday.
After exhausting his remaining drawdown power, Biden requested USD33 billion from Congress last month. On Friday, he reaffirmed his request. He stated that the US and its allies must continue to supply weapons and ammunition into Ukraine in order for Ukraine to defeat Russia.
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