Former U.S. ambassador to NATO on aid to Ukraine: Over three months of negotiations wasted
The bipartisan agreement developed in the Senate for funding the border with Mexico and, specifically, aid to Ukraine, will not pass the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, according to Ivo Daalder, the president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and former U.S. Ambassador to NATO, who served under Democratic presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden.
He stated in an interview with LIGA.net that three months of negotiations on funding have been wasted.
The U.S. Senate is currently considering a foreign funding bill of $95.34 billion. It includes $61 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel, and $4.83 billion to aid America's allies in the Indo-Pacific region, including Taiwan. The deal also allocates $9.15 billion in humanitarian aid to conflict zones such as Gaza, the West Bank of the Jordan River, and Ukraine.
When asked by a journalist about U.S. aid to Ukraine throughout 2024, Daalder stated that the deal under negotiation is no longer relevant.
"Unfortunately, over three months of negotiations have been wasted. It's becoming less likely that there will be any deal for aid this year, although it's still possible," he said.
A more likely scenario is the provision of military assistance rather than economic, according to the former U.S. Ambassador to NATO.
"Of the $60 billion in aid, $45 billion was supposed to be military and $15 billion economic. It might be possible to push through Congress $45 billion in military aid separately. This amount could be attached to another bill," Daalder said, adding, "If there's a chance, it should be by March at the latest."
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