US Senate says every day brings them one step closer to passing funding for Ukraine

US lawmakers are continuing discussions on a bill to fund aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and strengthen security on the US southern border.

Source: Holos Ameryky (Voice of America), as reported by European Pravda

Details: In particular, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, said that senators from both parties "are working furiously to approve another round of Ukraine aid" by finalising their supplemental national security package.

He said: "Each day we get a little closer, but there are still issues to be resolved. But one thing is certain: we are going to keep going to get this done." 

He reiterated that the latest package of defence assistance to Ukraine worth US$250 million was announced almost a month ago, and since then the US government has not been able to send anything to Kyiv due to the lack of funding approved by Congress.

"We have an obligation to help our friends fighting for their survival. We must - must - finish the work on the supplemental. We are not there yet, but we will continue working," Schumer said.

Meanwhile, in his speech, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell criticised President Joe Biden "for not doing more sooner to give our friends a decisive edge against Putin's aggression, and for not investing more seriously in rebuilding America's military strength".

"But I have never been under any delusion about why America was backing Ukraine's fight. This has never been about charity. [...] It is in the United States’ direct interest for authoritarians not to feel free to redraw maps by force."

"It’s in our interest to help degrade the military of a major adversary without committing American lives to the effort," McConnell said.

McConnell said that the Senate would "very soon have a chance to restore our sovereignty at the southern border", invest in strategic competition with China, and "rebuild our credibility in the eyes of allies and adversaries alike".

Senate Republicans have made approval of any additional money for Ukraine conditional on simultaneously tightening immigration rules aimed at reducing illegal crossings of the southern border and deporting those already in the country.

Even if an agreement is reached in the Senate, it may not be supported by the House of Representatives, where Republicans control the majority. Negotiations on these bills have been ongoing since October last year.

Background:

• Earlier, the US stated that it was necessary to make a decision on assistance to Ukraine as soon as possible, as the next few months would be critical.
• According to media reports, key aides to US President Joe Biden warned at a closed-door meeting in Congress that without approval of additional military aid to Ukraine, significant difficulties could arise at the frontline.
• The bill provides for more than US$60 billion to support Ukraine, US$14 billion for Israel, and the same amount for measures to counter illegal migration on the southern border.
• The White House has previously stated that it no longer had money for new military support for Ukraine until it is approved by the US Congress.

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