WASHINGTON, US
United States sought to
portray a united front against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as
President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan measure to reboot the World War II-era
“lend-lease” program, which helped defeat Nazi Germany, to bolster Kyiv and
Eastern European allies.President Joe Biden signs the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022 in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, May 9, 2022, in Washington.
The signing Monday came as the
U.S. Congress is poised to unleash billions more to fight the war against
Russia — with Democrats preparing $40 billion in military and humanitarian aid,
larger than the $33 billion package Biden has requested.
It all serves as a rejoinder
to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has seized on Victory in Europe Day —
the anniversary of Germany’s unconditional surrender in 1945 and Russia’s
biggest patriotic holiday — to rally his people behind the invasion.
“This aid has been critical to
Ukraine’s success on the battlefield,” Biden said in a statement.
Biden said it was urgent that
Congress approve the next Ukraine assistance package to avoid any interruption
in military supplies being sent to help fight the war, with a crucial deadline
coming in 10 days.
“We cannot allow our shipments
of assistance to stop while we await further Congressional action,” he said. He
urged Congress to act — and “to do so quickly.”
In a letter delivered to
Capitol Hill on Monday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State
Antony Blinken urged Congress to act before May 19, when the existing drawdown
funds run out. The Pentagon has already sent or committed all but $100 million
of the $3.5 billion in weapons and equipment that it can send to Ukraine from
its existing stockpiles. And that final $100 million is expected to be used no
later than May 19, they said.
“In short, we need your help,”
they said in the letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press. “The
ability to draw upon existing DoD stocks has been a critical tool in our
efforts to support the Ukrainians in their fight against Russian aggression,
allowing us to quickly source equipment and ensure a sustained flow of security
assistance to Ukraine.”
The resolve from Biden and
Congress to maintain support for Ukraine has been lasting, but also surprising.
Still, as the months-long war with Russia grinds on, the bipartisan showing for
Ukraine will be tested as the U.S. and allies are drawn closer toward the
conflict.
The House could vote as soon
as this week on the bolstered Ukraine aid package, sending the legislation to
the Senate, which is working to confirm Biden’s nominee Bridget Brink as the
new Ukrainian ambassador. The House’s Tuesday schedule mentioned the Ukraine
legislation, but it was unclear how firm that was.
With the president’s party
holding only the slimmest majorities in the House and Senate, Republican
cooperation is preferred, if not vital in some cases, for passage of the
president’s strategy toward the region.
“I think we will be able to do
it as quickly as possible,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said over the weekend
about an emerging aid package. “We have great bipartisanship in terms of our
support for the fight for democracy that the people of Ukraine are making.”
Despite their differences over
Biden’s approach to foreign policy and perceived missteps in confronting
Russia, when it comes to Ukraine the members of the House and Senate have held
together to support the president’s strategy.
The lend-lease
bill that Biden signed into law Monday revives the strategy to more
quickly send military equipment to Ukraine. Launched during World War II,
lend-lease signaled the U.S. would become what Franklin D. Roosevelt called the
“arsenal of democracy” helping Britain and the allies fight Nazi Germany.
Before signing the bill, Biden
said “Putin’s war” was “once more bringing wanton destruction of Europe,”
drawing reference to the significance of the day.
Flanked by two Democratic
lawmakers and one Republican, Biden signed the bill, which had widespread
bipartisan support. It sailed through the Senate last month with unanimous
agreement, without even the need for a formal roll call vote. It passed
overwhelmingly in the House, drawing opposition from just 10 Republicans.
“It really matters,” Biden
said of the bipartisan support for Ukraine. “It matters.”
One of the bill’s chief
Republican sponsors, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, said in a statement the measure
will give Ukraine “the upper hand against Russia, and I’m glad America could
act as the arsenal of democracy for this critical partner.”
Other measures, including
efforts to cut off Russian oil imports to the U.S. and calls to investigate
Putin for war crimes, have also gained widespread support, though some
lawmakers have pushed Biden to do even more.
“While President Putin and the
Russian people celebrated Victory Day today, we’re seeing Russian forces commit
war crimes and atrocities in Ukraine, as they engage in a brutal war that is
causing so much suffering and needless destruction,” said White House press secretary
Jen Psaki. She said Putin was “perverting” history to attempt to “justify his
unprovoked and unjustified war.”
Biden acknowledged his request
for more in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine would have to be
separated from money he also sought from Congress to address the COVID-19
crisis at home.
Decoupling the two funding
requests would be a setback for the president’s push for more COVID-19
spending, but a nod to the political reality of the Congress.
Republicans in Congress are
resisting spending more money at home as the pandemic crisis shifts to a new
phase, and Biden did not want to delay money for Ukraine by trying to debate
the issue further.
Biden said he was told by
congressional leaders in both parties that keeping the two spending packages
linked would slow down action.
“We cannot afford delay in
this vital war effort,” Biden said in the statement. “Hence, I am prepared to
accept that these two measures move separately, so that the Ukrainian aid bill
can get to my desk right away.”
As the now bolstered Ukraine
package makes its way through the House and Senate, with votes possible soon,
lawmakers are showing no signs of flinching. Countless lawmakers have made
weekend excursions to the region to see firsthand the devastation of the war on
Ukraine and surrounding countries, as more than 5 million refugees flee the
country.
Rather than fight the spending
overseas — as had been an increasingly popular viewpoint during the Trump era —
some lawmakers in both parties want to boost the amount of U.S. aid being sent
to Ukraine. - AP
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