America’s commitment to Ukraine in the face of Russia’s invasion is measured not just in words, but also in billions of dollars. The Joe Biden government has already committed and delivered more aid to kyiv than in any other war in recent decades. Now, the Administration wants Congress to approve an additional 11.7 billion dollars (a similar figure in euros), plus another item of 2 billion related to the war, but to reduce the cost of energy in the United States.
The request for authorization for the delivery of more aid has been published by the budget office of the White House through a blog entry signed by its manager, Shalanda Young. “President Biden has made it clear that the United States is committed to continuing to stand with the people of Ukraine in defending their sovereignty,” says Young. “To fulfill that commitment and meet immediate needs, we are requesting $11.7 billion in economic and security assistance for the first quarter of fiscal year 2023, as well as $2 billion to help deal with the repercussions that Putin’s war has had on the national energy supply and reduce energy costs in the future”, he adds.
To date, roughly three-quarters of the direct military and budget support Congress had previously provided to Ukraine has been disbursed or committed, with even more expected by the end of the fiscal year, which ends in September, the period for which that help was expected to last.
In May, Congress authorized $40 billion in humanitarian, economic and military aid to Ukraine, bringing the total to about $54 billion. The aid package garnered broad bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, effectively raising the amount of aid initially requested by Biden. In March a package of 13,600 million had already been approved.
“We have mobilized the world to support the people of Ukraine in defending their democracy and we cannot allow that support for Ukraine to dry up. The Ukrainian people have inspired the world, and the Administration remains committed to supporting the Ukrainian people, who continue to show their steadfastness and extraordinary courage in the face of Russia’s full-scale invasion,” said House Budget Office Director White.
US military support is proving critical to Ukraine’s defense in the war. Portable Javelin missile launchers were one of the most effective weapons of the Ukrainian resistance against Russian aggression in the early stages of the war. The United States has subsequently provided more advanced technological weapons. The United States then took the step of providing more advanced rocket and ammunition systems to more accurately strike key targets. Vehicle-borne multiple launch satellite-guided missile systems (HIMARS, in weapons terminology) have also been instrumental in the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
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Biden defended last June that being on the side of Ukraine “is in the vital interest” of the United States. “If Russia does not pay a high price for its actions, it will send a message to other potential aggressors that they, too, can seize territory and subjugate other countries. It will endanger the survival of other peaceful democracies. And it could spell the end of the rules-based international order and open the door to aggression elsewhere, with catastrophic consequences around the world,” he proclaimed then.
Other funds
The director of the White House budget office has announced, along with the package related to the war in Ukraine, the request for new funds to combat the coronavirus pandemic and monkeypox. For covid, the request is for $22.4 billion for testing, accelerating research and development of next-generation vaccines and therapies, preparing for future variants, and supporting the global response to the pandemic.
On monkeypox, the White House is asking Congress for $3.9 billion to help ensure access to vaccines, testing, treatment and operational support in fighting the disease, as well as $600 million to combat the global spread.
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