Biden Signs Government Funding Bill That Includes $13.6 Billion in Aid to Ukraine

President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed a $1.5 trillion bill that funds federal operations through September and sends billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine as the country grapples with a war with Russia.

Washington had to approve the spending plan by the end of the day to prevent a government shutdown.

The bill includes $13.6 billion in aid to Ukraine, which is proportional to US efforts to bolster Ukraine’s defense, hamper the Russian economy, and support civilians displaced by the war.

The aid will also finance defensive military equipment and training for Ukraine, as well as help Ukrainian refugees inside the country and in neighboring countries.

Biden signed the bill shortly after the White House announced that he would travel to Brussels this month for an extraordinary summit on the Russia-Ukraine war.

He also approved the funding hours before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s address to the US Congress on Wednesday morning.