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President Biden signed a law Monday afternoon that will do so has accelerated the process of sending military aid to Ukraine as the Eastern European country enters its third month of fighting the Russian invasion.
Surrounded by Vice President Harris and members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, Biden vowed that the United States would continue to support Ukraine “in its fight to defend its country and democracy” against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war.
“Every day Ukrainians fight for their lives,” Biden said. “The cost of battle is not cheap, but retreating from aggression is even more expensive.”
Following the signing of Ukraine’s 2022 Law on Land Leasing for the Defense of Democracy in Ukraine, Biden presented his pen to Congresswoman Victoria Sparz (R-Ind.), The first Ukrainian-born member of Congress. Representative Elisa Slotkin (D-Mich.) And Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) Also joined Biden in the Oval Office to sign the bill.
The house passed the land lease bill last month by 417 votes to 10. Just weeks earlier, the Senate had adopted it unanimously, a rare and huge display of bipartisanship in today’s bitterly divided Congress.
The measure, introduced by a bipartisan group of senators, updated a 1941 law that the United States used to help its allies during World War II. Now that The bill is signed as a law, the United States will be able to more quickly provide equipment and other supplies to Ukraine during the ongoing Russian invasion, as the bill increases Biden’s power to speed up agreements with Ukraine and other Eastern European countries.
After the House of Representatives passed the bill on April 28, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D of World War II.
“In his address on the state of the Union in 1941, President Roosevelt explained that democracy itself, democracy itself, is a great threat not only in Europe but all over the world,” Pelosi said at the time. “And he called on Congress to lend a hand to our allies overseas: to strengthen their defenses so that they can defeat the evils of fascism.
A few months later, Congress passed the initial leasing program, which drastically reduced bureaucratic hurdles to allow the United States to supply its allies more quickly.
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was an echo of that chapter in history, Pelosi added in a statement last month.
“Ukraine’s 2022 Law on Land Leasing for the Defense of Democracy has revived this major program by abolishing time-consuming requirements for the president’s authority to send critical defense resources to Ukraine,” she said. “It is important to note that it is time. Time is very important when life is at stake. “
First Lady Jill Biden visited Ukraine on May 8 to call for an end to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Video: The Washington Post)
The 10 Republicans who voted against the bipartisan measure were Andy Biggs (Arizona), Dan Bishop (North Carolina), Warren Davidson (Ohio), Matt Gates (Florida), Paul A. Gossar (Arizona), and Marjorie Taylor Green. Ga.), Thomas Massey (China), Ralph Norman (SC), Scott Perry (Pennsylvania) and Tom Tiffany.
The weekend after the House of Representatives passed the measure, Pelosi paid a surprise visit to Kyiv, leading a small delegation of Democrats to reaffirm US support for Ukraine. There, they met with President Vladimir Zelensky, who thanked the United States for “helping to protect its country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Over Mother’s Day weekend, First Lady Jill Biden also paid an unannounced visit to Ukraine, meeting with Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska in Uzhhorod, a town on the Slovak border.
Biden said on Monday that he was signing the land lease bill the day after VE Day, which marked the end of World War II in Europe and the anniversary of the European integration efforts that led to the European Union.
“It’s a good thing for everyone,” Biden said Monday.
On April 28, President Biden proposed United States legislation to provide additional funding to support Ukraine in its defense against the Russian invasion. (Video: The Washington Post, Photo: Demetrius Freeman / The Washington Post)
The land lease bill is separate from Biden’s request for Congress to approve an additional $ 33 billion for security, economic and humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian government. The President argues that it is crucial for the United States to continue to provide resources to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia. and on Monday he again called on Congress to act quickly.
“The plan was significant because the need is significant: we must stand by Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian aggression,” Biden said in a statement. “The need is also urgent: I have almost exhausted the resources provided to me by the bipartisan majority in Congress to support Ukraine’s fighters. This assistance was crucial to Ukraine’s success on the battlefield. We cannot allow our aid shipments to stop while we wait for further action by Congress. “
Biden has repeatedly stressed that the United States will not send troops to Ukraine to fight, but said his administration will do everything possible to hold Russia accountable and that the United States will continue to provide military assistance to Ukraine as Russia continues its attack. you are.
After the House of Representatives and Senate meet again, Congress could take action to approve an additional $ 33 billion in aid to Ukraine in the coming weeks.
Mariana Alfaro contributed to this report.
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