At the close of a wild roller-coaster of a day following the alleged "Russian missile attack" on a Polish border town, and despite little to nothing in the way of official confirmation of just what happened or whodunnit, and urgent phone calls flying between Western heads of state pledging "solidarity" - it's perfect timing for the US to shovel out another nearly $40 billion to Ukraine...
"President Joe Biden is asking Congress to provide more than $37 billion in emergency aid to Ukraine, a massive infusion of cash that could help support the nation as Russian forces suffer battlefield losses in their nine-month-old invasion," Reuters is reporting late in the day.
Biden unveiled the proposed massive aid infusion while at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia. It was also announced just as President Biden held a phone call with Poland's President Andrzej Duda following the explosion in the village of Przewodów.
Biden offered Poland "full U.S support for and assistance with Poland’s investigation" and "reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad commitment to NATO," according to a call readout. The two leaders also vowed to remain in "close touch to determine appropriate next steps as the investigation proceeds."
According to a breakdown of the fresh aid proposed for Ukraine, it includes "$21.7 billion for military, intelligence and other defense support, $14.5 billion in humanitarian aid and to help keep the Ukrainian government functioning, $900 million for health care and support services for Ukrainians living in the U.S. and $626 million for nuclear security support to Ukraine and for modernizing the Strategic Petroleum Reserve."
This follows Ukraine's President Zelensky urging more, more, more weapons and funding, especially missiles, artillery shells, and anti-air defense systems.
According to more from Reuters, "Shalanda Young, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said that more than three-fourths of the $40 billion approved by Congress earlier this year for Ukraine has already been disbursed or committed."
The precise figure of what the Biden administration is now asking anew totals $37.7 billion in support.
While there likely won't be an invoking of Article 5 over Tuesday's events, whatever bottlenecks that currently exist in terms of getting Ukraine more defense aid is likely to be loosened up after this.
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