The U.S. Senate approves an aid package to Ukraine, and President Biden signs it. The UK readies to supply Ukraine with Paveway IV laser-guided bombs for the first time, according to The Telegraph. The EU disburses EUR 1.5 billion in macro-financial assistance to Ukraine.
U.S. Senate approves aid package to Ukraine, President Biden signs it
The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to approve USD 95.3 billion in aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
The final vote was 79 to 18. House passed the foreign aid bill on Saturday.
Congress has passed the legislation, sending it to the White House for President Biden’s signature. Biden signed the bill into law on Wednesday.
In a recent interview with the European Pravda, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, said there is a possibility that the new package of weapons would be coming already in April.
UK to supply Ukraine with Paveway IV laser-guided bombs for first time, according to The Telegraph
The UK was readying to supply Ukraine with advanced Paveway IV laser-guided bombs as part of its latest military aid package, The Telegraph said on Wednesday. This would be the first such shipment.
BBC defense correspondent, Jonathan Beale also said on X that the latest batch of UK military aid to Ukraine will include Paveway IV bombs.
First used by the UK’s Royal Air Force in Afghanistan, the Paveway IV carries a 500-pound high explosive warhead and uses GPS and laser guidance to achieve high levels of accuracy.
The bombs could either be fitted to the U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets that are set to arrive in months, or Ukraine’s older Soviet-era planes, The Telegraph said. Paveway bombs are also in service with the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.
The UK will send its largest-ever military support package for Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said on X Tuesday after holding a call with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The package amounts to GBP 500 million (USD 620 million) of new spending and includes additional Storm Shadow missiles, strike and air defense missiles, protected mobility and armored vehicles, boats and small arms ammunition.
EU disburses EUR 1.5 billion in macro-financial assistance to Ukraine
The EU disbursed on Tuesday a EUR 1.5 billion installment of macro-financial assistance to Ukraine under the Ukraine Facility program, amounting to EUR 50 billion.
Announcing the disbursement on X, EU Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen said: “Ukraine is carrying a heavy burden on its shoulders for all of us. (…) This is vital to keep Ukraine’s state and services running, while it fights back the aggressor.”