WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden will ask Congress for an additional $33 billion to help Ukraine fend off the Russian invasion, two administration officials said Thursday, a big boost in U.S.
efforts to bolster Kyiv in an intensifying war that’s showing no signs of ending anytime soon.Biden’s latest proposal — which the officials said was expected to last for five months — has more than $20 billion in military assistance for Ukraine and for bolstering defenses in nearby countries.
There is also $8.5 billion in economic aid to help keep Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government functioning and $3 billion for food and humanitarian programs to help civilians and other spending, said the officials, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly.The proposal would more than double the initial $13.6 billion package of defense and economic aid for Ukraine and Western allies that Congress enacted last month.
It seemed to signal a long-term U.S. commitment to staving off Russian President Vladimir Putin's attempt to expand his nation's control of its neighbor, and perhaps beyond.The request comes with the fighting, now in its ninth week, sharpening in eastern and southern parts of the country and international tensions growing as Russia cuts off gas supplies to two NATO allies, Poland and Bulgaria.There is wide, bipartisan support in Congress for giving Ukraine all the assistance it needs to fight the Russians, and its eventual approval seems certain.