Senate Passes Bill to Revive WWII-Era Lend-Lease Program for Ukraine

The Senate on Wednesday night passed a bill that would revive the lend-lease program for Ukraine, which was used to give weapons to the Soviet Union, China, the UK, and other US allies during World War II.

The Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022 passed in the Senate by voice vote. The legislation would give President Biden the authority to send more weapons to Ukraine with less red tape.

The legislation would allow the US to give weapons to Ukraine free of charge while requiring payment at a later date. According to a summary of the bill, it would temporarily waive “certain requirements related to the President’s authority to lend or lease defense articles if the defense articles are intended for Ukraine’s government and necessary to protect civilians in Ukraine from Russian military invasion.”