US Senate passes long-delayed bill for aid to Ukraine and Israel

The US Senate has passed a $95 billion bill containing aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

The long-delayed measure won approval from the upper house early on Tuesday. The legislation will now head to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, where its chances of becoming law are slim.

The bill, which would open the way for desperately needed funding to go to Ukraine as it fights Russia’s invasion, has been delayed for months by Republican hardliners under the influence of former US President Donald Trump.

However, a bipartisan push supported by dozens of moderates from party helped it across the line in a rare all-session in the Democrat-controlled Senate. The vote saw more than a dozen Republicans voting with Democrats to pass the package 70-29.

However, several right-wing Republican lawmakers in Congress have already vowed to block the bill. They insist that the $60bn tranche allocated to Ukraine should be spent instead on domestic issues such as border security.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has made it clear that it could be weeks or months before Congress sends the legislation to President Joe Biden’s desk.

Supporters argue that abandoning Ukraine will embolden Russia, and risk a wider pushback of global democracy.