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Senate approves $61 billion Ukraine aid deal and Joe Biden will sign legislation later | World News

The Senate approved $95bn (£76.2bn) in war aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan after months of delays and wrangling, with Joe Biden set to sign the legislation later.

The bill passed the Senate by an overwhelming 79-18 vote late Tuesday, after the House passed it. approved the package on Saturday.

Once signed, the president will begin the process of sending weapons to Ukrainewho has been fighting to hold his front lines against Russia.

The legislation would also send $26bn (£20bn) in wartime assistance to Israel and humanitarian aid to Gazans, and $8bn (£6.4bn) to counter Chinese threats in Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific.

Analysis:
What does the US aid package mean for the war in Ukraine?

US officials said around $1 billion (£802,000) in aid could be on the way soon, with the bulk arriving in the coming weeks.

In an interview with The Associated Press shortly before the vote, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that if Congress had not approved the aid, “the United States would have paid an economic, political and military price.”

“Very few things we have done have reached this level of historical importance,” he said.

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On the Senate floor, Schumer said the Senate was sending a message to America’s allies: “We will stand with you.”

Schumer and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell argued there could be dire consequences for the United States and many of its allies if Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression is not checked.

The two worked with House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, to overcome seemingly intractable Republican opposition to aid to Ukraine.

The House approved the package in a series of four votes on Saturday, with Ukraine’s portion passing 311-112.

The $61bn (£48.1bn) for Ukraine comes at a time when the war-torn country desperately needs new firepower and as Putin has stepped up his attacks.

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Zelenskyy “grateful” for US package

Ukrainian soldiers have fought as Russia seized momentum on the battlefield and gained significant territory.

Biden told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday that the United States will send much-needed air defense weapons as soon as the legislation is passed.

“The president has assured me that the package will be approved quickly and that it will be powerful, strengthening our air defense as well as our artillery and long-range capabilities,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X on Monday.

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