Top US senators vow continued support for Ukraine, but push aid package vote to 2024

A new package of military and financial aid to Ukraine will not be approved in 2023, leaders of the Democratic majority and the Republican minority in the US Senate, Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell, announced in a joint statement.

Bipartisan talks on the security of the US southern border are making "encouraging progress," lawmakers said.

They noted that despite "challenging issues", the Senate will look for a way to resolve the border issue, as well as aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

"The Senate will not let these national security challenges go unanswered. As negotiators work through remaining issues, it is our hope that their efforts will allow the Senate to take swift action on the national security supplemental early in the new year," the senators said.

Schumer and McConnell stressed that negotiators in the Senate and the White House will work on a deal for the remainder of 2023.

The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, announced that the EU summit, at which the allocation of 50 billion euros for Ukraine should once again be considered, will take place on February 1.

Commenting on the situation with Western military aid to Ukraine, Vladimir Putin said that "everything is brought to Ukrainians for free", but "freebies end". In response, the State Department stated that Congress should level this bet of the Russian dictator.

A significant collapse in terms of aid to Ukraine from the allies is not expected, if there is a shortage of funding somewhere, it will be possible to cover it from alternative sources, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asserted.