President Biden on Saturday signed legislation authorizing $40 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine while on his first trip to Asia.
The White House said an aide carried a physical copy of the bill on a commercial flight to Seoul where Mr. Biden is meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Congress passed the package on Thursday after overcoming a series of partisan hurdles that held up the measure for weeks.
Almost immediately after the aid was announced, Mr. Biden approved an additional $100 million weapons package for Ukraine including additional artillery, radars, spare parts, and the equipment. The latest package brings total U.S. lethal aid to $3.9 billion since Russia’s invasion in February.
“Under President Biden’s leadership and with the support of Congress, the United States has worked alongside allies and partners to deliver significant aid to the Ukrainian military at the most critical moments of this conflict thus far,” House Armed Committee Services Chairman Adam Smith, Washington Democrat, said Saturday.
The $40 billion package approved by Congress on Thursday is $7 billion more than the White House Requested from Congress in late April.
The package includes $11 billion in funds for the Department of Defense to send weapons from its stockpile to Ukraine and another $9 billion to backfill the Pentagon’s own arsenal.
As Congress neared its final passage of the aid, the Pentagon warned publicly that it was nearing its full capacity to deliver weapons and aid to Ukraine.
Thursday’s $40 billion package is over and above the $13.6 billion aid bill approved by Congress in March.
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
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