Biden promises ‘significant new’ military aid to Ukraine after House OK funds

US President Joe Biden pledged on Monday to provide Ukraine with “significant new” military aid packages, after the Republican-controlled House of Representatives moved to approve more than $60 billion in new funding.

Biden said in a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that his administration will take action to provide Ukraine with new military hardware “as soon as the Senate” follows suit and approves the financing package.

“President Biden also underscored that U.S. economic assistance will help maintain financial stability, rebuild critical infrastructure after Russian attacks and support reforms as Ukraine moves forward on the path of Euro-Atlantic integration,” the White House said in a statement declaration.

The president has pledged to sign the funding package — along with funding for Israel and other important national security items — as soon as the bills reach his desk. The Senate is expected to consider the proposal in the coming days.

The House of Representatives voted 311-112 on Saturday to approve the massive Ukraine spending package in a series of votes that saw House Speaker Mike Johnson lean heavily on Democratic support amid significant opposition from his caucus.

At least three of Johnson’s fellow Republicans have backed an effort to oust him, known as a motion to evict.

Biden spoke separately by phone with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who congratulated Biden on the House of Representatives’ passage of the Ukraine financing bill, which the White House said “will be essential to meet the urgent needs on the battlefield of Ukraine once it is passed by the Senate and President Biden. signs it into law.”

“They spoke about how sustained international support is essential to Ukraine’s struggle for freedom,” it added.