Sharjah 24 – AFP: US President Joe Biden on Thursday was to propose a huge $33 billion package for arming and supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia, as well as using luxury assets stripped from Russian oligarchs to compensate the battered pro-Western country.
Speaking in the White House, Biden was set to announce the next phase in the already unprecedented effort to punish Russia for its invasion and to rush Western weaponry to Ukrainian troops.
The bulk of the proposed $33 billion package will be "$20 billion in military and other security assistance. This means weapons and ammunition flowing to the Ukrainian people," a senior US official said.
A further $8.5 billion in economic aid will "help the government of Ukraine respond to the immediate crisis," while some $3 billion is proposed to fund humanitarian assistance and address the global food supply price shock resulting from Russia's onslaught against Ukraine, a major wheat exporter.
The proposed package also includes funding to address economic disruptions in the United States and elsewhere, ranging from the impact on food supplies to availability of critical components used in high-tech manufacturing.
Congress needs to approve the request and while both Republicans and Biden's Democratic party have signalled they are keen to keep backing Ukraine, an unrelated dispute over Biden's request for billions of dollars in new Covid pandemic funding threatens to complicate the approval process.
For an optimal experience, please
