US lawmakers have still not agreed on aid to Ukraine, despite the approaching holidays.
.in_text_content_22 { width: 300px; height: 600px; } @media(min-width: 600px) { .in_text_content_22 { width: 580px; height: 400px; } }
The US Congress is running out of time to pass a new aid package for Ukraine before the holidays. US Senate lawmakers worked over the weekend to agree on a border security package in exchange for Republican votes for a bill that includes aid to Ukraine, Voice of America’s Ukrainian service reported.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer acknowledged on the Senate floor Monday that negotiations take time.
The US Congress has made some progress on an agreement to help Ukraine, but the time frame for approving the final decision is still unknown, The Hill reports.
The publication reports that several senators spoke about shifts in negotiations on strengthening the US border with Mexico, which is a primary prerequisite for Republican assistance to Ukraine.
Democratic Senator Joe Machin is optimistic that an agreement could be reached as soon as this week. His fellow party member Chris Coons shares the same opinion.
Schumer said he had spoken with key negotiators on both sides and could also confirm progress on border security. In his opinion, the decision can be made “behind closed doors.”
At the same time, Republican Lindsey Graham claims that “there is still a long way to go before reaching an agreement” and it will be concluded as early as 2024.
The Hill suggests that even if the Senate votes to provide funds to Ukraine and Israel, the House of Representatives, where the majority of Republicans, will still postpone consideration of the issue until later.
The United States has already committed more than $100 billion to arm and support Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, and US President Joe Biden has asked Congress to approve another $60 billion.
However, Republicans in Congress are increasingly skeptical about the need to continue funding Ukraine’s defense.
Background
In recent weeks, Senate Republicans have put forth a condition for approving additional appropriations for Ukraine – changing immigration rules to reduce the number of people entering the US through the southern border and deporting some of those already in the country.
A small group of bipartisan lawmakers, along with Biden administration officials, are trying to hammer out an agreement that gets enough support from both sides.
The US Senate was supposed to hold its last meeting of the year last Thursday, but changed the schedule to allow for negotiations.
The US House of Representatives adjourned until the end of the year but could return to vote if an agreement is reached.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.