Biden praises aid package for Ukraine and Israel as a ‘good day for world peace’

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By Zolan Kanno Youngs

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed a $95.3 billion package of aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan on Wednesday (24), reaffirming US support for Ukraine in the fight against Russia’s military assault after months of congressional gridlock put the centrepiece of the White House’s foreign policy in jeopardy.

“It’s a good day for world peace,” Biden said from the State Dining Room of the White House. “It’s going to make America safer, it’s going to make the world safer and it continues America’s leadership in the world and everyone knows it.”

Even as he hailed the package as a success, Biden said the process should have “been easier and should have gotten there sooner”.

“It was a difficult path,” he added. “But in the end, we did what America always does. We rose to the moment.”

He also said “Israel must make sure” all the humanitarian aid in the security package reached the Gaza Strip without delay.

The Senate voted overwhelmingly to approve the package Tuesday  (23) night, a sign of bipartisan support after increasingly divisive politics raised questions on Capitol Hill and among US allies over whether the United States would continue to back Ukraine. The 79-18 vote provided Biden another legislative accomplishment to point to, even in the face of an obstructionist House.

Here’s what else to know:

— The White House first sent a request for the security package in October, and officials have bluntly acknowledged that the six-month delay put Ukraine at a disadvantage in its fight against Russia.

— “The Russians have slowly but successfully taken more ground from the Ukrainians and pushed them back against their first, second and, in some places, their third line of defence,” John Kirby, a spokesperson for Biden’s National Security Council, said on Tuesday on Air Force One. “The short answer is: Yes, there absolutely has been damage in the last several months.”

— House Speaker Mike Johnson had to overcome fierce right-wing opposition from within his own Republican Party to pass it through the House first. The aid is broken up into four pieces: a measure for each of the three US allies and another meant to sweeten the deal for conservatives that includes a provision that could result in a nationwide ban on TikTok.

— The bill includes $60.8 billion for Ukraine; $26.4 billion for Israel and humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones, including Gaza; and $8.1 billion for the Indo-Pacific region. It also includes sanctions against Iranian and Russian officials.

— The House also added a provision that would require the president to seek repayment from the Ukrainian government of $10 billion. The idea to include some of the aid for Ukraine in the form of a loan was another example of the influence former President Donald Trump has over Congress. Trump called to make any future aid to Ukraine a loan.

-New York Times

 

 

The post Biden praises aid package for Ukraine and Israel as a ‘good day for world peace’ first appeared on Daily Express.

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[[{“value”:” By Zolan Kanno Youngs WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed a $95.3 billion package of aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan on Wednesday (24),…

[[{“value”:” By Zolan Kanno Youngs WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed a $95.3 billion package of aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan on Wednesday (24),…