On April 23, local time, the U.S. Senate passed a comprehensive foreign aid package worth $95 billion. The package includes over $60 billion in aid to Ukraine, $26 billion in aid to Israel, and $8 billion in aid to the Indo-Pacific region.
Previously, the bill had been delayed in the U.S. House of Representatives for half a year, finally passing on April 20.
Next, the bill will be handed to U.S. President Biden for signature. Normally, this process takes several weeks to complete, but this time Biden stated that the bill would be on the fast track and he would sign it immediately.
The White House issued a statement last Friday, saying, “The world is watching what Congress is doing, and passing this legislation will send a strong message, demonstrating American leadership at a critical moment.”
A day later, Biden released a statement saying, “Today, with a bipartisan vote in the House, we are pushing forward our national security interests, sending a clear signal of American leadership on the world stage.”
Indeed, the long-awaited and landmark passage of this important bill once again confirms the leadership position and significant role of the United States among civilized nations. It unequivocally tells the world that when faced with evil and tyranny, the United States will stand without hesitation beside nations and people who love peace, serving as their strong support. Clearly, this will help to deter the wrongdoing of evil and tyranny.
Who is most pleased after the passage of the bill? Of course, Ukraine.
A Ukrainian soldier sent a message from Donbas: “The entire team is watching. After the vote was over, cheers of ‘Great!’ could be heard throughout the trench!”
Ukrainian President Zelensky immediately took to social media to thank the U.S., stating, “The crucial American aid bill passed by the House today will prevent the escalation of war, save thousands of lives, and help both our countries become stronger.”
Zelensky also told NBC, “American aid sends a strong signal to the Kremlin that the United States stands with Ukraine, protecting the Ukrainian people and defending democracy worldwide. ‘Ukraine will not become another Afghanistan.'” He described U.S. aid as “saving thousands of lives.”
It is well known that the U.S. is a major supporter of Ukrainian forces, providing Ukraine with the necessary air defense systems, missiles, and various other high-tech weapons for its continued fight, primarily relying on imports from the United States. The passage of the aid bill allows Ukraine to see hope for shortening the duration of the war and achieving comprehensive victory sooner.
According to reports from AFP, based on data from the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, in the past two years since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict from January 2022 to January 2024, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with a total of $74.3 billion in aid, of which $46.3 billion is military aid. This figure is equivalent to nearly a decade of Ukrainian military spending, or a year of Russian military spending.
Of the $60.8 billion approved by the U.S. Congress this time, $49 billion is military aid. Based on data from the past two years, this funding from the U.S. for Ukraine can at least help maintain Ukraine’s current combat strength on the battlefield for 18 months.
After the signing of the Foreign Aid Act, Israel will receive $26 billion in aid. This funding will undoubtedly significantly increase Israel’s ability to combat Hamas and Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu immediately welcomed this development. Netanyahu wrote on X, “The U.S. Congress has just overwhelmingly passed a popular aid bill, demonstrating strong bipartisan support for Israel and defending Western civilization.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Katz also welcomed the vote in the U.S. House, stating on his X account that the vote “demonstrates the close relationship and strategic partnership between Israel and the U.S., sending a strong message to our enemies.”
What many may not have noticed, is that out of the $8 billion designated for aid to the Indo-Pacific region in the aid bill, $1.9 billion is specifically designated for military aid to Taiwan. Previously, the U.S. only sold weapons to Taiwan, never directly providing financial aid. This $1.9 billion is the first direct aid from the U.S. to Taiwan. Moving from selling weapons to direct financial aid marks a significant step for the U.S. This funding, though not large, holds immense significance. This opening paves the way for future U.S. military aid to Taiwan without any legal obstacles. This is tantamount to giving the Taiwan government another reassurance pill and a clear deterrence against the Chinese Communist Party.
As Zelensky said, “Democracy and freedom will always have global significance, as long as the U.S. helps protect them, they will never fail.”