While references to the Second World War are almost daily on the sidelines of the Ukrainian conflict, the President of the United States signed this Monday before journalists a law allowing to accelerate the sending to Ukraine of military equipment, reactivating a device dating from 1941.
The “Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022” is “based on a World War II program designed to help Europe resist Hitler,” the White House said.
"The measure updates a 1941 law used by the United States to help its allies during the Second World War", indicates for its part the Washington Post, referring to the lend-lease law, signed on March 11 of this year. that year by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
It authorized the United States to "sell, transfer, exchange, lease, or otherwise endow" any defense materiel to any government "whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the United States."
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The promulgation of this law will therefore allow Washington to considerably avoid “the bureaucratic obstacles” usual during arms deliveries, according to the American daily.
“Ukrainians are fighting for their lives every day,” Joe Biden said as he signed the bill in the Oval Office, adding, “This fight is expensive, but giving in to aggression would be even more expensive.
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“In his 1941 State of the Union address, President Roosevelt explained that democracy itself faced a grave threat, not just in Europe, but around the world,” the Democratic president said. of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, after the law was passed on April 28.
"And he called on Congress to lend a hand to our allies abroad: strengthen their defenses so they can defeat the evils of fascism," she added.
“Absurd oppression”
The reactivation of the lend-lease law "was supported by almost all members of Congress" American, with the exception of 10 elected House of Representatives who voted against, noted the White House.
The US executive also reports that the text was enacted as Russia marks the anniversary of the 1945 victory over Nazi Germany on Monday.
During the celebrations, Vladimir Putin described the offensive in Ukraine as "preemptive" in order to protect itself from the Western threat.
"To speak of a defensive action is blatant nonsense, to speak of anything other than a premeditated war" is "an affront to historical truth", reacted the spokesman for the American diplomacy Ned Price, after the speech of the Russian President.
“It is an insult to those who lost their lives and those who were victims of this senseless oppression.
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Ukrainians have been “sent against their will to Russia,” said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, confirming information from Ukrainian authorities.
"We don't have figures but we have seen signs that Ukrainians are being taken from Ukraine to Russia," he said.
Since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, the Biden administration has already provided some $3.8 billion in military aid to Kyiv.
The previous tranche announced was 800 million.
