After months of bitter wrangling, the House of Representatives passed a bill to appropriate $61bn to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia.
It also passed three other bills: one to help Israel; one to deter China from attacking Taiwan; and one a grab-bag of measures including forcing the sale of TikTok to a non-Chinese owner.
That it took so long to do the right thing by Ukraine was disgraceful. Its hard-pressed defenders have been running desperately short of ammunition and air defence interceptors all year.
Russian invaders have been gaining territory by pounding Ukrainian positions with at least five shells for everyone the Ukrainians can fire back.
Russian missiles and drones are mercilessly bombarding Ukrainian cities, often with “double-tap” strikes that hit civilians first, then the paramedics who come to help the stricken.
As soon as the bill becomes law, it should quickly make a difference on the battlefield. The Pentagon has pre-prepared arms consignments and is poised to deliver them. The first shells could start arriving in a couple of weeks, if not sooner.
Confident of their arrival, Ukrainian forces on the ground need no longer conserve ammunition as zealously as before. The chances of a catastrophic Russian breakthrough this year have significantly receded.
Many problems remain, however, both practical and political. The practical ones will be felt first. Some of the larger kits that Ukraine needs, such as anti-missile and anti-aircraft batteries, will take longer to build and ship.
For a while yet, too many missiles will get through, and too many Russian warplanes will fly too freely in Ukrainian skies, ready to support ground forces that are expected to make a big push next month.
Furthermore, the American kit cannot resolve Ukraine’s other military constraint: manpower. Fighting off a giant neighbour has taken a huge toll on Ukraine’s defenders. The recent lowering of the call-up age from 27 to 25 will help, but maintaining morale will require immense skill from Ukraine’s political and military leaders.
