Top US congressman issues strong warning against abandoning 'too important' aid to Ukraine
The US Congress rules out the option when Ukraine can be left without aid, as this is too important an issue to leave it without a solution, said the House Foreign Affairs Chairman, Republican Michael McCaul, reports Reuters.
At the same time, it will be "politically difficult" for Speaker Mike Johnson to provide funding for assistance to Ukraine, the news agency notes. But so far he is managing to contain the backlash from right-wing Republicans who are unhappy that Johnson's budget resolution was passed with the support of Democrats.
Many among the hardline conservatives oppose US aid to Ukraine, and a few of them have enough votes to remove Johnson from the speaker's chair, as was previously done with his predecessor Kevin McCarthy. The group is making the approval of aid to Ukraine contingent on tougher immigration policies and other issues that lack support in Congress even among moderate Republicans.
The leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, promised that the bill on assistance to Ukraine will be brought up for a vote on Thanksgiving Day (November 26). Schumer also acknowledged that the same package of decisions would include an agreement on border policy.
A month and a half before the beginning of 2024, Ukraine has not yet received confirmation of financial support from the USA and the European Union, the two main donors. The state's own revenues are barely enough to finance the military campaign, as the state budget deficit exceeds 1.6 trillion ($44 billion).
On October 20, 2023, the White House sent a request to Congress to allocate $106 billion in emergency funding to help Ukraine, Israel, and strengthen US border security. In particular, $61.4 billion of them are intended for Ukraine.
On November 17, the Pentagon announced that the approval of the aid package for Ukraine and Israel is fundamentally important for US national security and called on Congress to do so.
