U.S. assistance to Ukraine: Blinken called on Congress to allocate funding
Photo: U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken (GettyImages)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a joint press conference with the NATO Secretary-General warned Congress of potential consequences if lawmakers do not pass a bill that includes funding for assistance to Ukraine.
The head of the U.S. State Department warned that if Congress fails to pass a decision on allocating funding for assistance to Ukraine, the achievements of the Ukrainian people and all international efforts aimed against Russia could be compromised.
"Absent that supplemental, we're going to be sending a strong and wrong message to all of the adversaries that we are not serious about the defense of freedom, the defense of democracy. We're now currently out of the military assistance we've been providing for Ukraine and we're even seeing some evidence of it on a battlefield," said Blinken.
He also added that despite the controversies surrounding the bill in the U.S. Congress, there is bipartisan support for Ukraine, and he expressed hope that lawmakers will soon reach a consensus.
Problems with U.S. aid for Ukraine
In October 2023, U.S. President Joe Biden submitted a bill to Congress allocating $106 billion in aid for Israel and Ukraine, as well as allies in the Asia-Pacific region. Of this amount, $61.3 billion was proposed for Ukraine.
However, in December, the Senate blocked the start of debates on this bill. The reason was the Republicans' demand to add a tougher set of measures regarding the protection of the U.S. southern border with Mexico.
As reported by The Guardian, Congress has already agreed on the text of an agreement regarding the U.S.-Mexico border, the approval of which will determine the resumption of military aid funding for Ukraine. The document's text is expected to be published in the coming days.
