US President Biden has asked Congress for an additional $33 billion to help Ukraine fight against Russia. Much of this is earmarked for military and security aid. The US government wants to support Ukraine with further billions in aid payments in the war against Russia. President Joe Biden announced that he would ask Congress to approve an additional $33 billion (€31.4 billion). Twenty billion should be used for military aid, about 8.5 billion for economic assistance. “The cost of this fight is not cheap,” said the US President. “But capitulating to aggression would be more expensive. Either we support the Ukrainian people in defending their country, or we stand idly by while the Russians continue their atrocities and aggression in Ukraine.” NATO allies and EU partners would pay their “fair share of the costs” for Ukraine aid.

Biden stressed that the arms deliveries to Ukraine did not constitute an attack by the United States against Russia. “We are not attacking Russia, and we are helping Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression.” He reiterated that Russian President Vladimir Putin would “never succeed in dominating Ukraine.” The US Congress passed a budget in March that earmarked $13.6 billion in humanitarian, economic and military aid by the end of September. The money will also be used to increase US troops in Europe and to support neighbouring countries that have taken in large numbers of Ukrainian refugees.

However, the aid already approved is not enough, warned Biden and called on Congress to release the additional funds as quickly as possible. It is crucial to continue uninterrupted deliveries of arms, ammunition and other aid in the critical weeks ahead. The requested additional funds will be invested until the end of September, which is the end of the fiscal year. New anti-oligarch laws planned Biden also proposed to Congress a series of legislative changes to crack down on Russian oligarchs. The aim is, for example, to be able to make better use of confiscated money from oligarchs to repair damage in Ukraine caused by Russia in the war. He also dismissed accusations from Moscow that NATO was waging a proxy war against Russia in Ukraine. Biden lamented “disturbing rhetoric from the Kremlin.”

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