40 billion dollars
The bill outlines funding for military, economic, and humanitarian support for Ukraine. It designates 6 billion dollars for weapons and security assistance, 8.7 billion for economic aid and to sustain public services, 5 billion for food aid to Ukraine and other nations, and 900 million to assist Ukrainian refugees. Additionally, 3.9 billion will be used to reinforce US forces in Europe.
The House of Representatives broadcast session coverage is available on the chamber’s website. A vote of 368 members in favor versus 57 against advanced the measure, and it now proceeds to the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has committed to scheduling a prompt vote in the upper house.
The White House supported sending the bill to the House, noting that the total package surpasses the 33 billion dollars the president had requested previously.
“The extra resources included in this bill enable us to send more weapons and ammunition, including artillery and armored vehicles, to Ukraine. They will also help replenish our stockpiles and support US troops stationed with NATO allies,” the statement explained (Source: Gazeta.ru attribution).
Biden’s demands
Before the latest developments, President Joe Biden urged Congress to approve fresh Ukraine funding without delay and to send the bill to his desk in the coming days.
“I urge Congress to promptly pass the additional Ukrainian financing law and bring it to my desk in the next few days,” Biden told lawmakers.
Last week, lawmakers sought 33 billion dollars to sustain military, economic, and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. Of that total, 20.4 billion was earmarked for additional military and security assistance, and 8.5 billion for economic support.
The president noted that existing authorizations had nearly exhausted the funds previously granted by Congress for Ukraine aid.
In addition, Biden signed the Ukraine Lending Act, which streamlined certain lending-lease provisions to expedite military aid. The measure received approval from both chambers. The act temporarily relaxes some presidential powers related to lending and lease provisions for Ukraine and other Eastern European nations facing pressure from Russia.
Historically, the lending approach dates back to World War II, when the United States supplied weapons and strategic goods to allies in the anti-Hitler coalition, including the Soviet Union.
Is 40 billion too little?
In late April, SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) released a report analyzing military spending by Moscow and Kyiv. The analysis notes that Russia increased its military outlays by 2.9 percent to 65.9 billion dollars in 2021, marking the third consecutive year of growth and representing 4.1 percent of GDP that year.
According to SIPRI, robust revenues from oil and gas helped Russia expand its defense budget, although growth slowed between 2016 and 2019 before rising again. The report also highlights Russia’s emphasis on missile systems and its deployment in the Ukraine conflict.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military spending rose by about 72 percent since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, reaching 5.9 billion dollars in 2021, about 3.2 percent of the country’s GDP.
Commentary from Defense News notes that despite earlier fears about arming Ukraine due to corruption concerns and the risk of leakage to illicit markets, policy shifts allowed broader support. On April 21, 2022, President Biden announced a substantial 800 million-dollar military aid package for Ukraine, with another 800 million delivered shortly after. In total, American military aid commitments to Kyiv have grown across multiple packages, totaling several billions of dollars since March 2021.