How Biden got 361 billion dollars voted for the war in Ukraine in one day

On 20 April, Biden had 95 billion dollars voted for additional military spending, including 61 billion for Ukraine. « Most of the money will go to the US army and the country’s defence companies » (Les Échos, 22 April).On that day actually, Biden had 361 billion dollars voted for the war.

Responding to Biden’s request, the US Parliament has voted 95 billion for additional military spending on Ukraine, for Israel and for preparations for war against China. Three ongoing or future wars, one and the same imperialist policy.

But, reveals US anti-war campaigner Jack Rasmus, the same weekend also saw the passage of another bill that « could potentially provide up to $300 billion for the arming of Ukraine » (Los Angeles Progressive, April 24).

How does one go from the considerable sum of $61 billion to the stratospheric figure of $361 billion? Rasmus explains: the second bill, the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act, would requisition the $5 billion in Russian assets frozen by the US authorities after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and allocate them to a « Ukraine Defence Fund » managed by the US administration.

No worker, in Russia or anywhere else in the world, will mourn for the Russian oligarchs who have been robbed of 5 billion dollars. But no worker, in the United States or anywhere else in the world, can vouch for the fuelling of that war through this sort of robbery, a war that has already claimed more than 500,000 victims, both Ukrainian and Russian.

But things do not stop at that. Since March 2022, Western banks have frozen $300 billion of Russian assets ($5 billion in the United States, $260 billion in the eurozone and the rest in other countries). The law authorises Biden to « negotiate » with these countries – most of them NATO members – in order to « convince » them to transfer the entire 300 billion in Russian assets… to the « Ukraine Defence Fund » managed by the United States! So far, the President of the United States hasn’t had much trouble « convincing » his European allies to finance the war in Ukraine, so he will have no trouble convincing them again. Actually, Josep Borrell, the European Union’s head of diplomacy, has already taken a stand to use frozen Russian assets for NATO’s war effort.

This will be used, for example, to continue supplying Zelensky with ATACMS missiles, the first 600 of which have just arrived in Kiev. These are long-range missiles capable of striking 300 kilometres behind Russian lines… even if it means provoking an equally lethal response in return. Each missile costs a million dollars! Who benefits? Lockheed Martin, the number 1 arms manufacturer in the United States and in the world, which also manufactures the F35 fighter jets used in Gaza!

And on 20 April, in the House of Representatives, two « socialist » MPs* voted for the war credits. « Socialists” in word, imperialists in deed!

Dominique Ferré

*Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and Cori Bush, both members of the organisation Democratic Socialists of America