Biden invites Congressional leaders to White House for Ukraine aid talks, Politico reports
President of the United States Joe Biden (Photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
U.S. President Joe Biden has invited Congressional leaders to the White House for talks on providing assistance to Ukraine, reports Politico.
It is noted that Senate lawmakers have spent months discussing a potential bipartisan deal adding new restrictions on border and immigration policies to Biden's request for $100 billion for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and border security. However, these negotiations have yet to result in an agreement.
Expected participants include:
- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer
- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
- Speaker of the House Mike Johnson
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries
Politico reports that leaders of key committees, including those overseeing appropriations, will also be present at the meeting. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday.
U.S. assistance to Ukraine
Several months ago, U.S. President Joe Biden called on Congress to allocate over $100 billion for national security needs. The package includes over $60 billion in new funding for assistance to Ukraine.
Republicans in Congress have refused to support such an initiative, insisting on incorporating more stringent measures for border security with Mexico into the package.
As a result, Congress has been trying for over a month to reach an agreement on such measures to approve the package. On January 12, it was announced that U.S. assistance to Ukraine had been suspended until Congress approved new funding.
Today, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine would receive assistance from Europe and the United States, with decisions expected within weeks.
