Friday 20 May 2022 04:46 PM White House aide will shuttle $40billion Ukraine bill to Asia where Biden will ... trends now
President Joe Biden will sign a $40 billion U.S. aid package for Ukraine during his trip to Asia in an effort to get arms into the hands of the Ukrainian military and resources to its people without interruption.
The Senate passed the measure Thursday after the president and his team made their way toward Seoul, the first stop on his trip to South Korea and Japan.
'The president does intend to sign the bill while he's on the road so he can sign it expeditiously,' National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters traveling with the president.
'There won't be a gap for that very reason,' Sullivan said. 'So we will have the kind of continuity of support that we asked for. And for that we are grateful for the bipartisan backing that we've got from the Congress, who stepped up and did this from a timely fashion,' he added.
An aide is expected to fly a printed copy of the legislation to Asia once it is enrolled to get it to Biden for his signature, after which it will become law.
President Joe Biden boarded Air Force One Thursday at the start of a trip to Seoul, Korea, his first trip to Asia as president. He will sign a $40 billion bill to provide support to Ukraine
The White House hasn't provided further details on when Biden will sign it.
The president has enough time that he could sign the legislation upon his return next week. But the administration has been urging speedy action, with its drawdown authority to provide munitions to Ukraine running down even as it seeks to fend off a continued Russian offensive in its east and south.
Ukrainian leaders raised alarms that the nation would run out of aid by Thursday if Congress did not act.
The bill signing is just the first display of how Russia's invasion of Ukraine is expected to drive his agenda, even as he seeks to break away to focus on the Asia Pacific region.
'This is a demonstration of strong leadership and a necessary contribution to our common defense of freedom,' said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The bill passed the Senate 86-11
Destroyed Russian armoured vehicles cars and trucks are piled together on wasteland on the outskirts of the Bucha war zone on May 19, 2022 in Bucha, Ukraine. The U.S. is providing more artillery and anti-tank weapons to Ukraine
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) was one of 11 Republicans voting against the aid package for Ukraine
'The president does intend to sign the bill while he's on the road so he can sign it expeditiously,' National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters
The announcement came after the Senate passed the aid package on an 86-11 bipartisan vote, with all opponents coming from Republicans.
Sullivan's statement of appreciation came after Biden thanked leaders of both parties in a White House statement, even as other key administration priorities are languishing.
The military component will bolster Ukraine's military as the war stretches on into its fourth month.
The measure brings the total U.S. funding of the conflict to $54 million in two months.
Republican objectors complained that there were more pressing problems at home and complained of insufficient oversight.
