(BBC News) The House of Representatives has finally approved billions of dollars in new US military aid for Ukraine as it struggles to resist Russia’s invasion.
The much-delayed measure had vocal opponents in Congress, and it took a fragile bipartisan deal to get the $61-billion package through.
Now the focus shifts from “whether” to “when” lethal aid arrives, with reports suggesting it could begin within days.
President Joe Biden spoke of a “clear message” about US leadership abroad.
Expressing gratitude, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said: “Democracy and freedom will always have global significance and will never fail as long as America helps to protect it.”
The aid would keep the war from expanding and save thousands of lives, he added.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov countered by saying the package would “make the United States of America richer, further ruin Ukraine, and result in the deaths of even more Ukrainians.”
The foreign aid package passed on Saturday also includes funding for Israel and Taiwan, as well as humanitarian aid for Gaza, Haiti, and other war-torn regions.
