UPDATE - US House overwhelmingly passes over $40B in new funding for Ukraine

ADDS DETAILS THROUGHOUT

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) – The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted Tuesday night to approve over $40 billion in new funding for Ukraine in a bid to further aid the country as it battles Russian forces.

The 368-57 vote sends the sweeping package to the Senate, which is expected to vote on and pass it as soon as this week. All of the opposition in the House came from Republicans.

The package comes in significantly over the $33 billion requested by US President Joe Biden in April as he and his administration continue to warn that existing funds and authorities to transfer arms from existing US stockpiles have run dry.

The bill would give Kyiv billions of dollars in new military and economic assistance and provides some $5 billion to assist the global response to a growing food insecurity crisis and rising food prices caused by Russia's assault. Ukraine is normally a major food exporter, and the war has had devastating effects on global agricultural markets.

Some $6 billion is set aside to fund the arming, training and supplying of the Ukrainian military, with about $8.7 billion for replenishing US weapons stocks that have been used to arm Kyiv.

An additional $3.9 billion is allocated for the US's European Command, and the bill would increase a congressional cap on funding for friendly nations from $450 million to $950 million.

The massive spending bill comes on top of roughly $13.6 billion allocated by Congress in March.

Speaking on the House floor ahead of the vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "coward" who has ordered his forces to commit war crimes in Ukraine. The aid package, she said, is an "act of mercy" to help remedy the ongoing suffering.

"It's about democracy versus a dictatorship. Democracy must prevail," she said. "We must help them win so that we can have bread for the world, and feed the hungry," she said.
"This package builds upon the strong ongoing support already delivered by the United States thanks to the bipartisan, bicameral unity in the Congress and with the administration."

At least 3,459 civilians have been killed and 3,713 others injured since Russia launched the war on Ukraine on Feb. 24, according to UN estimates. The true toll is feared to be much higher.

More than 5.91 million people have fled to other countries, with some 7.7 million people internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.