Biden asks Congress for $105 billion to support Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

US President Joe Biden requested US Congress to allocate almost $105 billion to support the security needs of Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and the US southern border, CNBC reported. The most significant request in this package amounts to more than $61 billion in military aid for Ukraine. The Biden Administration also called for additional aid worth $14.3 billion for Israel, an assistance package worth $2 billion for Taiwan, and over $9 billion for humanitarian aid. According to the White House, the additional funding request will help to invest around $50 billion in the US defense industry, CNBC reported. “The funding will expand production lines, strengthen the American economy, keep us safe, and create new American jobs,” Shalanda Young, Director of the US Office of Management and Budget, said on 20 October. According to the Voice of America journalist Ostap Yarysh, the assistance package for Ukraine will include the following:

• $30 billion for Pentagon arms programs for Ukraine and replenishment of the stockpiles of the US Army;
• $14.4 billion for military, intelligence, and other security support;
• $16.3 billion for the US State Department's economic, security, and operational support programs;
• $481 million for programs to support Ukrainians arriving in the United States under the U4U program;
• $149 million for nuclear and radiological threat response and capacity building.

Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the US has provided Ukraine with military aid worth $44 billion, according to figures provided by the US State Department, CNBC reported. In his address to the American people on 19 October, US President Joe Biden said he would send the “urgent budget request” to Congress for support to Ukraine and Israel and explained his decision. President Biden said that supporting Ukraine and Israel Biden was a smart investment that would pay dividends for American security for generations. Related:

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