The US Congress has passed the government's new budget, which, among other things, provides for billions in aid for Ukraine. The US House of Representatives approved the budget with a volume of 1.7 trillion US dollars (around 1.6 trillion euros). The Senate had previously approved the law. US President Joe Biden still has to sign it into force - which, according to the White House, he wants to do promptly.

Defense spending accounts for about half of the budget. Almost 858 billion US dollars are planned for this. Around 45 billion US dollars have been earmarked for supporting Ukraine. On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj appealed for further support in an impassioned speech before the US Congress in Washington.

The new budget finances government business until September next year.