President Joe Biden is set to sign a Senate bill that will allocate $90 million in military aid to Ukraine. Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder has stated that the legislation will bolster protection for the U.S. and its allies.
According to a news release from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), this bill sends a clear message to Russian President Vladimir Putin: America and its allies remain committed to supporting Ukraine. The 21st meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, hosted by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is scheduled for April 26. This virtual meeting marks two years since Austin first convened the group.
Ryder noted, "I would say that it's notable that despite Russia's assumptions that the international community would fragment and lose interest in supporting Ukraine over time, the opposite has been true." He added, "You've seen the NATO alliance for collective defense expand, underscoring international consensus that Ukraine's security matters to the security of all of our nations."
The release also highlighted Putin's mistaken belief that Russia's invasion would fracture the NATO alliance. However, this 50-nation group has remained resolute against ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III expressed his approval of the bill saying, "I welcome the passage of the critical national security supplemental, which will help the Department of Defense support Ukraine and Israel, bolster security in the Indo-Pacific, and stand firm with our Allies and partners around the world." Austin continued by stating how this bipartisan legislation will allow his department "to surge lifesaving security assistance to help Ukraine defend itself from Russia's aggression, support Israel's defense from Iran and its proxies, and increase the flow of urgently needed humanitarian aid to suffering Palestinian civilians in Gaza."
