(ReliableNews.org) – The US immediately stepped up to help when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Democrats and Republicans have argued allowing Russian President Vladimir Putin to advance in Eastern Europe is dangerous. But, recently, lawmakers have sparred over whether to provide the nation with more aid. Now, the White House is issuing a warning, and Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy is begging for help.
The White House has asked Congress to pass a $106 billion spending package. The money would fund Israel, Ukraine, US border security, and other needs. Republicans have refused to consider the package. Instead, they want to pass a standalone bill for Israel while tying Ukraine’s aid to stricter border control policies in the US.
Ukraine is on the verge of running out of money to fight Russia. Shalanda Young, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, recently sent a letter to the leaders in the House and Senate urging them to pass the aid package. She warned the US will run out of money to provide Ukraine with weapons by the end of the year. She said that would “kneecap” the country on the battlefield, an opinion shared by experts.
Young stated the money the US has spent on Ukraine thus far has helped the nation “achieve significant military victories” over Putin’s forces. She said Congress has to weigh whether it wants the US to “continue to fight for freedom across the globe or [to] ignore the lessons” that history has already taught.
On December 5, Zelenskyy addressed US senators in a classified briefing. The meeting included Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and other security officials. Before the briefing, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said Republicans in the upper chamber are still willing to pass funding.
Ultimately, whether an aid package gets through depends on what Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) and his caucus decides to do. So far, they remain firm that the aid must be tied to border policy.
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