Ukraine may receive weapons in less than a week after congressional approval – WP

The Pentagon will deliver some of the weapons to Ukrainian forces in less than a week after all the procedures for adopting the relevant legislation are completed.

Source: The Washington Post, citing US officials, as reported by European Pravda

Details: US officials said the Pentagon is ready to provide significant military assistance to Ukraine after the Senate approves an aid bill for Ukraine next week and President Joe Biden signs it.

The US Department of Defense, which has warned that Ukraine would gradually lose ground to Russian forces and experience significant casualties without prompt action from Capitol Hill, has begun putting together an aid package well in advance of the upcoming votes in a bid to speed up the process, the officials said.

One official estimated that some of the weapons would take less than a week to reach the battlefield.

It was not immediately clear how large the package would be, although it would almost certainly include much-needed ammunition for the systems most relied upon by the Ukrainian military, including 155-mm rounds used in NATO howitzers and medium-range rocket artillery.

It is also likely that the Pentagon will send a fresh batch of air defence equipment and ammunition to Ukraine, crucial to combating Russia's relentless campaign against the country's civilian infrastructure.

Background:

• On Saturday 20 April, the US House of Representatives voted in favour of a bill on foreign aid for Ukraine. A total of 311 members of the lower house of the US Congress voted in favour of the bill, while 112 voted against.
• The draft law was promised to be submitted to the Senate as an amendment to the Senate Foreign Assistance Bill HR.815, passed in February. This should simplify the procedure for approving the package in the Senate.
• The leader of the Democratic majority in the US Senate, Chuck Schumer, said that the Senate would vote on the bill on Tuesday, 23 April.
• US President Joe Biden has promised to sign the approved aid bill into law.

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