By KYIV. Dec 21 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Senate have stopped having heated discussions about assistance to Ukraine: there is a consensus on the need to continue support. Negotiations are currently underway exclusively on the issue of the southern border of the United States, said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
“Democrats and Republicans have stopped having any heated discussions about helping Ukraine. That is, at the moment there is a general political consensus that we do not argue about Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan: we need to support and continue. But the border issue needs to be resolved. Another thing is that it was possible not to tie aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan to the border issue, but America enters the elections, and, as in any country, everyone begins to think exclusively in terms of domestic policy,” Kuleba said at the NV event “Ukraine and the World Ahead 2024.”
He noted that the issue of the border is the votes of voters, and “the votes of a very sensitive category of voters.”
“On January 8, the Senate starts working after the holidays, on January 9, the House of Representatives starts their work after the holidays. And without exaggeration, a decision can be made any next day,” the minister stressed.
The head of the ministry explained that the Senate must first make a decision, then it will pass it to the U.S. House of Representatives, which will have to vote.
“Now you know that there are two teams, the Republican and the Democratic, who are negotiating exclusively on the border issue. I want to say that the subject of negotiations is the border, not Ukraine. And they will negotiate tomorrow and next week, despite the fact that everyone is on vacation. But communication will take place, and there is progress in these negotiations,” the minister said.
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 requested $13.6 billion for the protection of the U.S.-Mexico border, $7.4 billion for other national security priorities. In total, the U.S. president has requested Congressional approval for additional funding in the amount of $106.7 billion.
