Biden to ask Congress for $33 billion Ukraine war funds

US President Joe Biden is asking Congress to authorize $33 billion in new funding to address the war in Ukraine, including $20 billion in military assistance, a senior US official says.

The bulk of the huge new package will be the “$20 billion in military and other security assistance. This means weapons and ammunition flowing to the Ukrainian people,” the official says.

A further $8.5 billion in economic aid will “help the government of Ukraine respond to the immediate crisis,” while some $3 billion is proposed to fund humanitarian assistance and address the global food supply price shock resulting from Russia’s onslaught against Ukraine, a major wheat exporter.

The proposed package also includes funding to address economic disruptions in the United States and elsewhere, ranging from the impact on food supplies to the availability of critical components used in high-tech manufacturing.