The US Senate on Thursday approved $12 billion in military and economic aid for Ukraine, extending the federal budget through December.
The measure, agreed to by senators from both parties, includes $3 billion in arms, supplies and salaries for Ukraine’s military and authorizes President Joe Biden to transfer $3.7 billion worth of weapons to the U.S. Department of Defense. And take the goods and send them to Ukraine. .
It also provides $4.5 billion for Kyiv to keep the country’s finances stable and run the government while providing services to the Ukrainian people.
It comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to annex parts of Ukraine held by Russian troops on Friday.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “Seven months after the conflict began, it is clear that U.S. aid has gone a long way in helping the people of Ukraine resist Putin’s vicious, vicious aggression.” What is it.”
“But the fight is not over yet, and we must continue to support the brave, brave people of Ukraine.”
The aid to Ukraine is part of a short-term extension of the federal budget, which is set to expire at the end of the fiscal year on September 30, without parties in Congress agreeing to a full-year appropriation for the 2022-23 fiscal year. Is.
The extension, or continuing resolution, would keep the government running until December, but must first be approved by the House of Representatives to avoid shutting down parts of the government on Monday.
Without a permanent solution, some but all government departments will remain closed on Monday and their workers will be furloughed without pay.
With just 40 days to go before congressional midterm elections, both parties are sensitive about how the shutdown will appear to voters.
If passed in the House, the budget measure would fund the government until Dec. 16, a time when lawmakers hope it will be easier to agree on a full-year budget without getting hung up on election politics.
The temporary budget measure also included funding for Afghan refugees, heating allowances for low-income families this coming winter, and aid for Jackson, Mississippi, which is facing a severe water crisis.
The new allocation for Ukraine brings to $65 billion that the US government has provided to the country since the beginning of the year.
