President Biden re-signed the law 81 years ago to make it easier to provide weapons to Ukraine

US President Joe Biden signs the Lend-Lease Act authorizing more weapons support for Ukraine – Photo: AFP

In the Oval Office, Mr. Biden signed Lend-Lease Act (Lend-Lease Act). The act would allow the expansion of Western support for artillery, anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank weapons and other heavy weapons to the Ukrainian army. It is separate from the ongoing effort to move weapons from the US stockpile to Ukraine.

According to AFP news agency, since Russia conducted a “special military operation” in Ukraine on February 24, the Washington government has provided military assistance of up to $3.8 billion to Kiev.

The previous Lend-Lease Act was approved by the US House of Representatives on April 28, three weeks after the US Senate passed. Speaking when signing the bill, Mr. Biden affirmed that the US supported “the fight to protect the country and democracy of the Ukrainian people”.

He also emphasized the symbolism of the date of re-signing of the new Lend-Lease Act: the day after May 8 is the day the United States and Western Europe celebrate World War Day in Europe; Europe Day is the anniversary of the founding of the European Union in 1950.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the US decision, calling it a historic step.

The Lend-Lease program was introduced by President Franklin Roosevelt and approved by the US Congress on March 11, 1941. It was originally intended to assist British forces in their fight against the Nazis by giving the president the power to “sell, transfer, exchange, lease, or dispose of” any military resources that the president deems to be his or her own. least necessary for US defense.

The basis of the law is: “If the neighbor of a country successfully defends its country, then the security of that country is also enhanced”.

During World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union were allies for a short time against a common enemy, Nazi Germany.

On October 30, 1941, President Roosevelt approved Lend-Lease aid to the Soviet Union, allowing 1 billion USD to be transferred to the Soviet Union interest-free and not required to be repaid until 5 years after the end of the war. .