What does lend-lease mean for Ukraine/Unsplash
US Senate approved the law on the lend-lease program to protect democracy in Ukraine. Read the article on what it is and how it will help Ukraine defend against Russia.
The United States is already halfway to approving a law that will help speed up the supply of American weapons to Ukraine
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What is Lend-Lease for Ukraine
Thanks to Lend-Lease, the United States can supply Ukraine with weapons, equipment, and medicines as quickly as possible and under a simplified procedure , products, oil and other necessary goods. Previously, there was bureaucracy on the way, which significantly hampered the adoption of those decisions that were necessary for the defense of Ukraine instantly.
One of the initiators of the lend-lease law for Ukraine, Senator Jean Shaheen, noted that the fastest possible delivery of military assistance to Ukraine is crucial. She called Russia's attack the biggest threat to Europe since World War II.
With this crisis rapidly escalating and Putin putting pressure on Ukraine, every minute counts,” the senator stressed. .
How Lend-Lease Helped Defeat Hitler
This step is already called historic, since such a program operated during the Second World War. The United States in 1941 – 1945, under this program, supplied weapons, equipment and other goods to its allies to fight Nazi Germany. billion dollars. Today this is equivalent to about $690 billion, estimates British lawyer Alan Riley. Then the US economy was reformatted:
- factories produced tanks and artillery;
- oil workers provided fuel for equipment;
- and farmers grew food for the military and civilians who suffered from the war.
All this was urgently supplied to the allies of the United States. It is believed thatit was this program that became a turning point in World War IIand brought the victory of the countries that opposed Nazism closer.
Lend-lease conditions and importance for Ukraine
Lend-lease provides for simplified procedures for lending, supplying and transporting weapons to Ukraine and the countries of Eastern Europe. The program will be valid until fiscal year 2023 (that is, until October 1, 2022).
The law allows the president to lend or lease military equipment to Ukraine. At the same time, used military equipment may be written off, and payment for the destroyed equipment may not be charged. So in fact it will almost be gratuitous assistance from the US.
Interesting! Thomas Warrick, acting director of one of the programs of the US Atlantic Council, believes that under the lend-lease program, Ukraine can receive Soviet-era air defense systems (S-300), which are in service with three NATO countries and high-tech equipment (including anti-aircraft and unmanned aviation systems).
I am grateful to the US Senate for passing a bill to protect Ukrainian democracy thanks to Lend-Lease. This is an important first step towards Lend-Lease, which will facilitate the supply of military equipment to Ukraine. We look forward to an early adoption in the House of Representatives and the signature of the US President,” Kuleba responded.
Note that the Ukrainian authorities have been asking the United States for this step for a long time. For example, the head of the President's Office, Andriy Yermak, noted two weeks ago that Ukraine could win the war against Russia by obtaining serious offensive weapons. And this is only possible thanks to a full-fledged lend-lease.
What such support testifies
- Firstly, the United States believes in Ukraine's victory and is ready to make efforts to help Ukraine resist .
- Secondly, this once again shows how the desire to help Ukraine defend itself has united all countries with democratic values. Democrats and Republicans, who are usually at odds, work together to draft laws to support Ukraine and vote unanimously in favor of them.
- Third, the US sees Russia's war against Ukraine as a chance to weaken its ideological enemy.
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