The United States Senate on Tuesday passed a bill on a $95-billion military aid package for Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine.

Democrats and Republicans voted 79-18 to send the law to the desk of President Joe Biden for signing.

“I will sign this bill into law and address the American people as soon as it reaches my desk tomorrow so we can begin sending weapons and equipment to Ukraine this week,” Biden said in a statement shortly after the vote.

The bill also provides much-needed humanitarian assistance to Gaza, Sudan and Haiti.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky quickly thanked US lawmakers for passing the bill, saying on social media that he looks forward to the bill being signed soon and the next military aid package delivered soon.

Ukraine’s military is facing a severe shortage of weapons and new recruits as Moscow exerts constant pressure from the east.

And frontline circumstances are expected to worsen in the coming weeks, with Ukrainian intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov predicting a “rather difficult situation” beginning mid-May.

The bill also forces TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company ByteDance or face a nationwide ban in the United States, where it has around 170 million users.

Western officials have voiced alarm over the popularity of TikTok with young people, alleging it is subservient to Beijing and a conduit to spread propaganda and gather personal data.

WITH AFP