President Biden on Wednesday signed a $95.3 billion aid package to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan to fight Russian military aggression after months of congressional gridlock put the White House’s foreign policy center at risk. reaffirmed U.S. support for Kiev.
“Today is a good day for world peace,” Biden said in the official White House dining room. “It makes America safer, it makes the world safer, it continues America’s leadership in the world, and everyone knows it.”
The Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday night to approve the package, which comes amid growing political divisions on Capitol Hill and among U.S. allies over whether the U.S. will continue to support Kiev. It was a show of bipartisan support after the The 79-18 vote gave Biden another legislative accomplishment to point to, even in the face of an obstructionist House.
Biden praised the policy, but said the process “should have been easier and we should have gotten there sooner.”
“It’s been a difficult road,” he added, noting that people on the ground in Ukraine cheered the news. “But in the end we did what America always does: We rose to the moment.”
Biden has managed support for the two wars, but he also faces a backlash in the United States over his support for Israel in the Gaza war, which has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians.
“My commitment to Israel is ironclad,” Biden said.
He added that the package includes $1 billion in humanitarian aid, which the president said he would rush to Gaza. “Israel must ensure that this aid reaches all Palestinians in the Gaza Strip without delay,” he said.
The signing was part of a careful political maneuver with the new House speaker facing fierce opposition from far-right Republicans over aid to Ukraine, ending a long journey to the White House.
“Imagine if we had failed instead,” Biden said Wednesday, admonishing the “MAGA Republicans” who allowed Ukrainian officials to run out of artillery.
The White House first issued a request for security measures in October, and officials freely acknowledged that the six-month delay put Ukraine at a disadvantage in the fight against Russia.
Biden’s National Security Council spokesman, John F. “We pushed them back to the defensive line.” he spoke on Air Force One on Tuesday. “Simply put, yes, the damage has definitely been done over the past few months.”
The White House’s strategy in recent months has included impressing upon members of Congress and the American public that without desperately needed aid, Ukraine could lose the war.
Biden has instructed his aides to avoid publicly criticizing Chairman Mike Johnson and to hold regular security briefings about the risks of not sending aid, administration officials said. The officials requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
Mr. Biden’s chief of staff, Jeffrey D. Zaients, held daily strategy meetings with the president’s aides, including senior adviser Steve Ricchetti. Schwanza Goff, Legislative Director; and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
Mr. Sullivan assured Mr. Johnson in one phone call after Mr. Johnson asked for more accountability for security aid that the United States would ensure all aid was tracked.
Johnson said a press conference led by CIA Director William J. Burns was an important factor in gaining support.
The aid is divided into four parts, one for each of the three U.S. allies, and another that eases the deal for conservatives and could lead to a nationwide ban on TikTok. Contains certain provisions.
The bill includes $60.8 billion for Ukraine. $26.4 billion in humanitarian assistance to civilians in conflict zones, including Israel and Gaza. and $8.1 billion for the Indo-Pacific region. It also includes sanctions against Iranian and Russian officials.
The House also added a provision requiring the president to repay the Ukrainian government $10 billion. The idea of including some of the aid to Ukraine in the form of loans was another example of former President Donald J. Trump’s influence in Congress. Trump called for future aid to Ukraine to be turned into loans.
