Will there be consequences for Ukraine amid U.S. shutdown? Ukrainian MFA answers
Oleg Nikolenko, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Photo: Vitaliш Nosach, RBС-Ukraine)
The temporary U.S. budget will in no way halt the delivery of assistance to Ukraine, which had been announced earlier, according to Oleg Nikolenko, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
What happened?
In the United States, there was a risk of government shutdown due to the stance of far-right Republicans who were blocking the passage of budget bills for the upcoming fiscal year, demanding cuts in what they saw as excessive spending. They also opposed additional aid to Ukraine.
The White House, on its part, attempted to include a compromise of $6 billion for Ukraine within the funding bill until mid-November, but the initiative did not receive enough votes.
To avoid a government shutdown that was set to occur on October 1, the House of Representatives approved temporary government funding on September 30.
U.S. President Joe Biden signed the bill to extend U.S. government funding for 45 days following Senate approval.
"While the Speaker and the overwhelming majority of Congress have been steadfast in their support for Ukraine, there is no new funding in this agreement to continue that support," Biden added.
What the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says
"The situation with the temporary U.S. budget will not stop the delivery of assistance to Ukraine that was announced earlier. This includes approximately $1.6 billion for defense, $1.23 billion in direct budget support, as well as funding for humanitarian and energy projects," writes Nikolenko.
However, as explained by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, a government shutdown would have had a negative impact on the implementation of current programs for Ukraine.
Today, the authorities are working with American partners to ensure that the new U.S. budget decision, which will be worked out over the next 45 days, includes funding for assistance to Ukraine.
"We should not forget that the United States is currently undergoing domestic political discussions related to the American political process. Support for Ukraine remains unwaveringly strong both within the U.S. administration and among both parties and chambers of the U.S. Congress, and most importantly, among the American people," the spokesperson emphasized.
