Biden signed the Foreign Aid Bill to provide Military Aid to Ukraine

President Joe Biden has signed a military aid package to Ukraine after months of debate and negotiation.

Key points of Bill

• The Senate has passed an aid package worth $95 billion, which includes $61 billion in aid to Ukraine, $26 billion to Israel, and $8 billion to the Indo-Pacific. 
• The aid package also includes a bill that could eventually lead to the banning of TikTok in the United States. 
• The Chinese parent company ByteDance has nine months to sell the app or it will be banned from app stores in the United States. 
• The signing of the aid package was the result of months of negotiations, lobbying from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and a split in the House Republican conference. 
• This split continues to threaten the leadership position of House Speaker Mike Johnson, who faced opposition from hardline House conservatives. 
• These conservatives opposed additional US funding for Ukraine and threatened to oust Johnson over his handling of the negotiations. Some conservatives in Congress have opposed additional assistance for what they view as an unwinnable war.

Funding going to Ukraine quickly

• The US government said it will start sending military supplies to Ukraine. This includes air-defence equipment, artillery and rocket system ammunition, and armored vehicles. President Biden signed a bill into law for a $1 billion aid package for Ukraine just before this announcement.
• The aid package includes ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), artillery rounds, RIM-7 and AIM-9M air defense missiles, Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, and more. 
• It also includes logistics and tactical vehicles, anti-armor systems, training munitions and spare parts, and small arms ammunition.
• The US will also send long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), which Ukraine has requested for a long time. Earlier this month, the Pentagon sent long-range missiles after President Biden spoke. 
• The ATACMS missiles were quietly included in the $300 million aid package announced on March 12 and delivered to Ukraine earlier this month.
• Last fall, the US sent Ukraine the mid-range variant of the ATACMS missile system, which can reach about 100 miles. The longer-range version can reach as far as 190 miles.
• Ukrainian officials are asking the US for long-range missiles that can strike deeper behind the Russian border. US officials have previously resisted, citing supply issues and concerns about further provoking Moscow if deployed.