On the 9th (local time), U.S. President Joe Biden is signing the Ukraine Lend-Lease Act at the White House. Washington DC (USA) = EPA · Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] U.S. President Joe Biden has signed the Lend-Lease Act to expedite arms support to Ukraine. This move is interpreted as a reaffirmation of the U.S. commitment to aid amid Russia's ongoing offensive against Ukraine.
According to CNN on the 9th (local time), President Biden signed the "Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022" at the White House that day. The Lend-Lease Act was originally enacted in 1941 under then-President Franklin Roosevelt to assist allied countries such as the United Kingdom resisting Nazi Germany, created at the request of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
This law significantly simplifies the administrative procedures the U.S. must follow when providing weapons to allies, enabling near real-time support of arms and war materials. It is also regarded as a decisive law that helped the Allied forces defeat Nazi Germany during World War II.
The U.S. government has activated the Lend-Lease Act for the first time in 81 years since World War II. Last month, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed an amendment to this act, followed by the House of Representatives passing it by an overwhelming majority. With President Biden's official signature on the bill, U.S. military support to Ukraine is expected to be delivered more swiftly.
At the signing ceremony, President Biden stated, "I am signing a bill that provides another important tool to support the government and people of Ukraine who are fighting for their homeland and democracy against Putin's brutal war," adding, "This is a pivotal moment for support to Ukraine." He further condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine as "malicious destruction," emphasizing, "Russia's atrocities are unacceptable, and while the cost of battle is high, the cost of succumbing to aggression is far greater."
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