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Biden administration has sent another arms package on Friday to bolster Ukraine’s defense
US President Joe Biden on Monday signed a bill to streamline the lengthy process of supplying military equipment to Ukraine needed for the war against Russia.
“I’m signing a bill that provides another important tool that directly supports the government of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people and their fight to defend their country and their democracy against Putin’s brutal war,” Biden said from the Oval Office.
“The cost of the fight is not cheap, but caving to aggression is even more costly,” he added.
Biden’s signature on the ‘Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022’ will expedite the lending and leasing of military aid to other Eastern European allies affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Although the US President already has some power to lend or lease equipment, the legislation he signs into law will ease some requirements.
Under the law, Ukraine can request streamlined US weapons and other defense equipment transfers, guaranteeing that the country will replace or reimburse the assets later.
It will help payments received under leasing agreements be deposited in the Treasury Department as miscellaneous receipts and classified as direct spending, which it otherwise would not have provided under current law.
Additional military assistance
On Friday, the Biden administration announced the ninth security assistance installment for Ukraine, pledging an additional weapons package worth $150 million.
The latest military aid package brings the US military aid commitment to $3.8 billion since Moscow invaded Ukraine late February.
The $150 million commitment comes from the remaining $250 million in presidential drawdown authority, which allows the president to transfer excess weapons from US arsenals without congressional approval.
Last month, Biden requested $33 billion from Congress after exhausting his remaining drawdown authority.
Picture Credit: CNN
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