US Congress Passes Bill to Provide 130 Trillion Won in Aid to Ukraine and Israel

Biden, "Starting to Send Weapons to Ukraine This Week"
Includes Details on Forced TikTok Sale

A security package bill, including 130 trillion won in support for Ukraine and Israel and the forced sale of TikTok, passed the U.S. Congress on the 23rd (local time).

The U.S. Senate approved the foreign security package bill, which includes a $95 billion (about 131 trillion won) support plan for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, passed by the House on the 20th, and the forced sale of TikTok's U.S. business rights, with 79 votes in favor and 18 against in the plenary session. This bill, having passed both the Senate and the House, is expected to be signed by President Joe Biden on the 24th and come into effect immediately.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

The bill passed by both chambers includes $60.8 billion (about 84 trillion won) in military and economic aid for Ukraine, $26 billion (about 36 trillion won) in military aid and Gaza Strip relief support for Israel, and $8.1 billion (about 11 trillion won) to help strengthen the security of the U.S. Indo-Pacific alliances and partners centered on Taiwan. It also contains sanctions against foreign refineries, ports, and vessels that deliberately handle Iranian oil.

The U.S. Department of Defense is reported to have prepared weapons shipments worth $1 billion (about 1.37 trillion won), including Bradley armored vehicles, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, rockets for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), 155mm shells, and TOW anti-tank missiles, to provide rapid support to Ukraine within days after the president’s signature. Attention is focused on whether this military aid will enable Ukraine to turn the tide and launch a counterattack against Russia.

President Biden expressed gratitude in a statement, saying, "Thanks to bipartisan agreement, we have strengthened U.S. security and sent a message to the world about the power of American leadership." He added, "I will sign the bill into law as soon as it reaches my desk tomorrow (the 24th) and deliver a speech to the nation," explaining, "We will be able to start sending weapons and equipment to Ukraine this week."

The bill passed on this day also includes a provision banning TikTok’s service in the U.S. if its Chinese parent company ByteDance does not sell TikTok’s U.S. business rights within 270 days (with a possible 90-day extension by the president). Previously, the House had passed a similar forced sale bill last month with a six-month deadline for the sale, but this bill extended the maximum period to 360 days. However, TikTok has expressed strong opposition to this legislation and is prepared to engage in litigation, so significant challenges are expected before the law is enforced.

The passage of this large-scale security package came six months after the Biden administration’s request, due to strong Republican opposition to aid for Ukraine. A breakthrough was made on the 13th when Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson proposed splitting the support for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan into four separate bills for processing, following Iran’s airstrike on Israel.