- The US House of Representatives on Saturday voted 311 to 112 to approve sending $61B in foreign aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Forbes (LR: 3 CP: 5)
- The Ukraine aid is part of a $95B package, which includes $26B for Israel in its war with Hamas and $8B to support US allies — including Taiwan — in the Indo-Pacific region. Al Jazeera (LR: 2 CP: 1)
- The military aid for Kyiv includes a provision that would allow the US to sell seized Russian assets and transfer the funds to Ukraine. New York Times (LR: 2 CP: 5)
- The national aid security package will now go to the Senate, where it's expected to be approved on Tuesday. Pres. Joe Biden has reportedly assured that he will sign it into law immediately. Associated Press (LR: 3 CP: 5)
- Saturday's vote comes as Russia has reportedly gained the advantage on much of the battlefield, as Ukrainian troops face a severe shortage of ammunition. TheFinancialTimes
Pro-establishment narrative:
- The much-awaited US aid will help keep the Russia-Ukraine war from expanding as well as save thousands of lives. The measure was desperately needed as Kyiv had been running low on all weapons types, from small arms to air defense, and could lose the war within weeks. The US resolve to back Ukraine will extend its window to fight and keep the negotiating table at bay.
WASHINGTON POST (LR: 2 CP: 5)
Establishment-critical narrative:
- It's a bad day for anyone who believes that Ukraine can hold its own on the battlefield and inflict damage on Russia. The military aid to Kyiv will only enrich the US, ruin Ukraine, and result in more casualties. Moreover, allowing Washington to confiscate seized Russian assets and transfer the funds to Kyiv will worsen the crisis and risk leading to an unprecedented escalation in the region.
TASS
Republican narrative:
- This multi-billion-dollar aid package is a sellout of America today. It’s despicable that the US is doing nothing to secure the US-Mexico border, while Democrats have been incessantly voting for foreign wars. For refusing to toe the party line and taking the aid to a vote, for his betrayal and disloyalty, House Speaker Mike Johnson has jeopardized his position and will undoubtedly pay a hefty price.
THE HILL
Democratic narrative:
- Despite facing a right-wing rebellion, Johnson cleared away the biggest hurdle to Biden's funding request for Ukraine, which is struggling to stay afloat amid dwindling military supplies. Had the US lawmakers turned their backs on Kyiv on Saturday, the consequences could have been devastating. The Russia-Ukraine war is a global threat to the US' security and the free world, which Washington can't afford to shrug off.
CNN (LR: 2 CP: 5)
Nerd narrative:
- There's a 25% chance that Ukraine will join NATO before 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
METACULUS (LR: 3 CP: 3)