U.S. prepares agreement that could unlock funds for Ukraine
U.S. prepares agreement that could unlock funds for Ukraine (Getty Images)
A deal on border and immigration issues is in the works in the U.S. Congress, poised to unlock funds for aid to Ukraine, according to James Lankford, the chief representative of the Republican Party.
The agreement's text, potentially paving the way for unlocking billions in assistance to Ukraine, may appear as early as this week.
"Text hopefully this week, to be able to get that out. Everybody will have time to be able to read and go through it. No one’s going to be jammed in this process," Lankford expressed optimism.
Should the deal be approved by the Senate in the near future, it will then be passed on to the House of Representatives, which, as Lankford notes, "can take a serious look at it and say look, ‘this makes real progress on the border, let’s go get this, bank this and then keep going for more'."
U.S. assistance to Ukraine
At the end of 2023, Congress failed to approve President Joe Biden's request for over $100 billion for national security needs, including more than $60 billion for Ukraine. The main stumbling block was opposition from Republicans, who insisted that the White House incorporate their proposals to enhance border security into the request.
It was also reported that on December 27, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the United States had provided Ukraine with a military assistance package of $250 million, which could be delivered in the near future.
Furthermore, on January 4, the White House declared that the United States no longer has the funds to provide Ukraine with new military assistance packages. According to National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby, President Joe Biden signed the latest security assistance package, for which the U.S. has authority over the funds.
