U.S. Senate to vote on aid to Ukraine and Israel on December 4, Politico
The U.S. Senate will vote on aid to Ukraine in early December (Photo: GettyImages)
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer plans to vote on President Joe Biden's request for aid for Ukraine and Israel on December 4, according to Politico.
Schumer's announcement is reportedly pressuring senators to reach a consensus on border security as a component of a bill containing assistance for Ukraine and Israel.
The Senate Majority Leader identified the border concern as the primary barrier to allocating funds to shield Ukraine from Russia and Israel. Furthermore, he urged the Democrats to collaborate more closely with Republicans in the pursuit of a compromise.
It is observed that there are likely 60 votes to provide Ukraine with billions of dollars in additional aid. However, Republicans have cautioned that they will not support it unless a border agreement is reached.
Schumer's efforts to hold a Senate vote in early December set a deadline for discussions. Congress has passed spending bills twice this autumn, which did not comprise aid to Ukraine. The situation is expected to become more intricate in the new year.
“Nothing would make autocrats like Putin or Xi happier right now than to see the United States waver in our support for the Ukrainian people and its military,” Schumer wrote in his letter, referring to the leaders of Russia and China. “This is not just about Ukrainian or Transatlantic security, it’s about American security as well because an unchecked Putin would be an emboldened Putin.”
He announced a briefing on Ukraine for all senators in the coming days.
It's important to note that the day before, Mike Turner, the Chairman of the US House Intelligence Committee, stated that adopting new measures to assist Ukraine and Israel by the end of 2023 may be challenging due to disagreements in Congress.
U.S. assistance to Ukraine
On October 1, the U.S. Congress passed a temporary budget bill. It did not include any new funding for assistance to Ukraine, as it was decided to consider this initiative separately.
After that, US President Joe Biden proposed that Congress allocate $106 billion. Most of these funds ($60 billion) are to be used to help Ukraine. It is also planned to help Israel.
