President Biden signed legislation Saturday to support Ukraine with an additional $40 billion in U.S. assistance as the Russian invasion nears its fourth month.
The legislation, which passed Congress with bipartisan support, deepens America’s commitment to Ukraine at a time of uncertainty about the future of the war. Ukraine has successfully defended kyiv and Russia has refocused its offensive on the country’s east, but US officials warn of the possibility of a protracted conflict.
The funding is intended to support Ukraine through September and dwarfs an earlier emergency measure that provided $13.6 billion.
The new legislation will provide $20 billion in military assistance, ensuring a steady stream of advanced weapons that have been used to slow Russia’s advances. There is also $8 billion in general economic support, $5 billion to address global food shortages that could result from the collapse of Ukrainian agriculture, and more than $1 billion to help refugees.
Biden signed the measure under unusual circumstances. Because he is in the middle of a trip to Asia, a US official took the bill on a commercial flight to Seoul for the president to sign, according to a White House official.
The logistics reflect a sense of urgency around continued US support for Ukraine, but also the overlapping international challenges facing Biden. Even as he tries to reorient US foreign policy to confront China, he continues to direct resources to the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.
Biden also signed an unrelated measure, one aimed at increasing access to baby formula at a time when supplies remain tight in the United States. The legislation will allow government benefits from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, better known as WIC, to be used to purchase more types of infant formula.