WASHINGTON
\nPresident Joe Biden on Monday resurrected a World War II measure used to boost US allies fighting Nazi Germany, allowing the government to accelerate weapons shipments to Ukraine for its battle against Russia\u2019s invasion.
\nBiden signed the Lend-lease Act in the Oval Office, saying the United States supports Ukrainians\u2019 \u201cfight to defend their country and their democracy against (Russian President Vladimir) Putin\u2019s brutal war.\u201d
\nHe also signaled that he is ready to make a political concession in Congress so that he can win rapid approval of a request for another $33 billion in funds for supporting Ukraine.
\nBiden had previously demanded that approval be coupled with support for funding unrelated government anti-Covid programs. But because Republicans are dragging their heels on Covid-related expenses, Biden said he is ready to drop the Covid funding demands for now and just get the Ukraine money through.
\n\u201cWe cannot afford delay in this vital war effort,\u201d he said in a statement, urging that Congress get the Ukraine funding bill \u201cto my desk right away.\u201d
\nThe updating of the historic Lend-lease measure was especially resonant coming hours after Putin oversaw a military parade on Red Square in Moscow for the annual commemoration of the Soviet victory against Nazi Germany. Putin has turned the event into a spectacle justifying his war on pro-Western Ukraine, which he falsely claims is occupied by Nazis.
\nBack in the 1940s, the United States and the communist Soviet Union were briefly allies against their common German enemy. It was then that President Franklin Roosevelt first used the Lend-lease measure, removing bureaucratic obstacles to funnel billions of dollars of equipment to European partners, including to the Soviets.
\nToday, Lend-lease is being used to open the spigots on artillery, anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank weapons and other powerful Western weapons used by Ukraine\u2019s military against Russian forces.
\nBiden emphasized the symbolism of the date, noting he was signing the act the day after the United States and Western Europe marked their separate Victory in Europe day May 8th.
\nHe also underlined that Monday itself marked the anniversary of the May 9 Europe Day, which celebrates the founding of the European Union in 1950 and creation of an \u201ceconomic powerhouse\u201d and \u201cglobal force for peace.\u201d
\nAcknowledging the billions of dollars already spent by the United States, Biden said \u201ccaving to aggression is even more costly.\u201d
\nIn a tweet, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the measure, also harking back to the war against Germany.
\n\u201cToday\u2019s signing of the law on Lend-lease is a historic step. I am convinced that we will win together again. And we will defend democracy in Ukraine. And in Europe. Like 77 years ago,\u201d Zelensky wrote.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WASHINGTON President Joe Biden on Monday resurrected a World War II measure used to boost US allies fighting Nazi Germany, allowing the government to accelerate weapons shipments to Ukraine for its battle against Russia\u2019s invasion. Biden signed the Lend-lease Act in the Oval Office, saying the United States supports Ukrainians\u2019 \u201cfight to defend their country […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":259832,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6],"tags":[503,456,7090],"class_list":{"0":"post-259800","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"tag-joe-biden","9":"tag-ukraine","10":"tag-us-weapons"},"yoast_head":"\n