Joe Biden on Monday facilitated the acceleration of US arms shipments to Ukraine through a World War II-based law that helped US allies defeat Nazi Germany.

The US president signed the Lending Act at the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., saying the United States supports "the struggle of Ukrainians to defend their country and their democracy against Putin's brutal war."

Acknowledging that billions of dollars have already been spent by the United States, Biden said "taking care of aggression is even more costly," reports

The lending act, which simplifies the flow of military equipment, "is based on a World War II-era program to help Europe resist Hitler," the White House said in a statement.

The president noted that he was signing the act a day after the United States and Western Europe marked Victory Day in Europe and the defeat of Adolf Hitler's Germany in 1945.

He also noted that Monday marked the anniversary of May 9 - Europe Day, which marks the founding of the European Union in 1950 and the creation of an "economic power" and a "global force for peace".