By KYIV. Dec 5 (Interfax-Ukraine) – On the Ukrainian side, work is underway at all levels to ensure that the decision on the approval by the U.S. Congress of assistance to Ukraine is made in a timely manner, but this is a decision of the American parliament, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said.
Answering the question about what actions the Ukrainian side is taking so that the U.S. Congress can agree on a package of additional assistance for Ukraine, Kuleba said that “the work does not stop.”
“In particular, last week I had a conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the NATO ministerial meeting. A good part of this conversation was devoted to this issue. What I heard from my colleague is encouraging, but this is a decision of American politics, this is a decision of the American parliament. So we’ll leave it to them. But Ukraine is working at all levels to ensure that this decision is made in a timely manner,” the Foreign Minister noted at a press conference with his Dutch colleague Hanke Gerdina Johannette Bruins Slot in Kyiv.
Earlier, Shalanda Young, director of the U.S. Administration’s Office of Management and Budget, warned in a letter to congressional leaders that funds for U.S. military assistance to Ukraine would run out before the end of this year, 2023, unless the U.S. Congress decides to allocate additional funding.
In October, U.S. President Joseph Biden sent a request to Congress for financial assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $61.4 billion for a year, as well as $14.3 billion to strengthen Israel’s defense. In addition, Biden has requested $13.6 billion to secure the U.S.-Mexico border and $7.4 billion for other national security priorities. In total, the U.S. President asked Congress for approval for additional funding in the amount of $106.7 billion.
