After more than six months of hedging, backtracking, and unfulfilled promises, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson finally allowed a vote on aid for Ukraine, which was passed on April 20. President Joe Biden made a request to Congress in October 2023 for $61 billion in aid for Ukraine. Following
A defense expert told Bloomberg that the assistance can help Kyiv stall Russian advances and conduct an effective defense.
"The Ukrainians have now, for months, been outgunned, roughly one to five, one to ten, depending on what part of the front line you are talking about," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.
Key developments on April 20-21: * US House passes $61 billion in aid to Ukraine; Zelensky praises US House for passing it * Senator says US could start sending ATACMS to Kyiv in 1 week * Ukraine's Navy confirms Russian ship Kommuna hit in Sevastopol * Ukrainian drones strike Russian energy facilities overnight, source
"I think this support will really strengthen the armed forces, I pray, and we will have a chance at victory if Ukraine really gets the weapons system, which we need so much, which thousands of soldiers need so much."
The United States could begin transferring long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine "by the end of the week," U.S. Senator Mark Warner told CBS News in an interview published April 21.
Russian forces have maintained and, in some areas, intensified ongoing offensive operations, likely to exploit persisting Ukrainian materiel shortages before the arrival of promised Western security assistance, the Institute for the Study of War said in its April 20 report.
The United States is contemplating the deployment of additional military advisers to the embassy in Kyiv as Russia appears to be gaining momentum on the front lines. These advisers would not serve in combat capacities.
European leaders praised the passage of a $60.84 billion Ukraine aid bill by the U.S. House of Representatives on April 20, but some caution that Europe must urgently ramp up support for Ukraine.
"Certainly, we will use American support to strengthen both our nations and bring a just end to this war - a war that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin must lose," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 20.
The U.S. House of Representatives on April 20 passed a bill that would allow the seizure and transfer of frozen Russian assets held in the U.S. to Ukraine.
The U.S. House of Representatives on April 20 passed a key foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and other allies after months of political infighting and a deteriorating situation on the battlefield. Over two months have passed since the Senate passed a similar bill on foreign assistance, and Democratic
In an interview with C-SPAN, Don Bacon laid out the dire situation Ukraine finds itself in on the battlefield, saying if the bills don’t pass “the Russians will be in Kyiv.”
"From our intense work with both parties and committee approval of voting procedures today, I am cautiously optimistic this time," Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, told the Kyiv Independent on April 19.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on April 19 that Senate Democrats will support House Speaker Mike Johnson's series of bills that includes aid for Ukraine, Israel, and other priorities if they pass the House.
According to one of the unnamed U.S. defense officials, some of the proposed military equipment is located in Europe and could reach Ukraine within days after a successful vote, while other material would likely take a few weeks.
A U.S. lawmaker has mocked Marjorie Taylor Greene by adding an amendment to the Ukraine aid bill requiring that she be appointed "Vladimir Putin’s Special Envoy to the United States Congress."
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at the close of a visit to the United States that he received "assurances of support" for the proposed military aid package to Ukraine from both Democrats and Republicans in Congress.
"We're going to do what's necessary to make sure the national security bill gets over the finish line," House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said. "It's not Johnson's foreign aid package. It's America's foreign aid package in terms of meeting our national security needs."
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen held talks on the long-awaited U.S. aid bill for Ukraine, strengthening sanctions against Russia, and the ongoing debate on confiscating frozen Russian assets.
Key developments on April 17: * Russian missile attack on Chernihiv kills at least 17, injures 60, including children * Johnson says vote on Ukraine, Israel foreign aid bills to take place on April 20 * Sources: HUR confirms attack on Russian bomber factory in Tatarstan * Kharkiv at risk of becoming 'second Aleppo,
U.S. President Joe Biden said on April 17 that he "strongly supports" House Speaker Mike Johnson's proposals on foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel, and other partners.
U.S. President Joe Biden has called for "leadership and courage" in Washington in order to pass urgent military aid for Ukraine and Israel, adding "now is not the time to abandon our friends," in an op-ed published April 17.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he is moving forward with his plan to hold a vote on a series of foreign aid bills for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan despite pressure from Republican hardliners, CNN reported on April 17.
U.S. planes will not be flying over Ukrainian skies to engage with Russian attacks, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a press conference on April 16.
After six grueling months, the U.S. House of Representatives may finally be preparing to vote on a new aid package for Ukraine. House Speaker Mike Johnson said on April 16 that following new rounds of talks with House Republicans, he planned to advance three separate aid packages for Ukraine,
The White House believes that House Speaker Mike Johnson's proposal on a series of foreign aid bills for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan appears "at first blush" to cover the necessary assistance, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on April 16.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson plans to hold separate votes this week on new assistance packages for Israel and Ukraine, aiming to assemble fragile coalitions to support both embattled allies.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that U.S. President Joe Biden and congressional leaders during an April 14 call reached a "consensus" that Congress should act quickly to provide aid to both Israel and Ukraine.
Military aid for Ukraine is limited, while Russia continues to have access to "critical components needed to produce missiles and drones," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on April 14.
Russian forces may be preparing for a large-scale offensive in late spring or summer, aiming to capture more land in Ukraine's partially-occupied Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, the Financial Times reported on April 13, citing unnamed Ukrainian and Western officials.
Editor’s note: The Kyiv Independent is not disclosing the full names of the soldiers introduced in the story, as they didn’t have a formal authorization to speak to the press. DONETSK OBLAST – Mykhailo arrived at a dugout less than an hour after it was hit by Russian drones.
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