Senate approves nearly $61B of Ukraine foreign aid − here’s why it helps the US to keep funding Ukraine
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木曜日, 4月 25, 2024
About $61 billion of this aid package will be spent on Ukraine, while $26 billion will go to Israel.
Key Points:
- About $61 billion of this aid package will be spent on Ukraine, while $26 billion will go to Israel.
- The new legislation means that U.S. military supplies could be moved to Ukraine in a matter of days.
- Pressure increased on lawmakers to pass the aid package after Iran’s drone missile attack on Israel on April 14, 2024.
- The U.S. has been the largest single donor backing Ukraine since Russian troops invaded the country in February 2022.
- As a scholar of Eastern Europe, I think there are a few important reasons why the U.S. has a lot at stake in supporting Ukraine.
Republicans divided over Ukraine aid
- Since February 2024, Johnson had delayed initiating a vote on the Ukraine foreign aid bill in the House of Representatives for a few reasons.
- One major factor was fighting between Republicans, who hold a slim majority in the House.
- While some centrist Republican politicians supported Ukraine funding and pushed for a vote on the foreign aid package, others – hard-right Republicans – wanted a bill that prioritized what they said are American interests, meaning more of a focus on domestic U.S. problems.
Delays on Ukraine benefit Putin
- As the House was stalling on a vote, Ukraine was rationing ammunition and supplies.
- Delays with foreign aid to Ukraine give Putin time to move forward with plans to purchase ballistic missiles from Iran.
- Without foreign aid from the U.S., Ukraine faces a strategic disadvantage that could lead to Russia winning the war.
The US needs Europe to compete with China
- One factor is U.S. global power competition with China.
- Russian and Chinese leaders declared a military and political partnership days before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
- They announced on April 9, 2024, that they want to find ways to strengthen their joint security work across Asia and Europe.
- U.S. political and military leaders have noted that supporting Ukraine and pushing back against Russia is one clear way to deter China from strengthening its global political power and military reach.
- The U.S. needs its long-standing allies in Europe to help push back against China – and deterrence is only as effective as the size of the force doing the deterring.
Foreign aid benefits US arms industry
- Most of America’s military aid to Ukraine consists of arms and ammunition from existing U.S. stockpiles.
- More than one-third of the $61 billion spending includes $23 billion dedicated to replenishing weapons and ammunition systems for the U.S. military.
- In December 2023, Biden signed a U.S. defense policy bill that authorizes a record-high $886 billion in spending from July 2023 through June 2024.
- But it also allows for the purchasing of new ships, aircraft and other types of ammunition.
Americans continue to support Ukraine aid
A majority of Americans still favor U.S. support of Ukraine, though about half of Republicans said in December 2023 that the U.S. is giving too much money to the country. Even though politicians do not always follow public opinion, there are clear reasons why it is in the U.S.’s best interests to keep funding Ukraine. This story is an update of an earlier article published on April 10, 2023.
Tatsiana Kulakevich does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.