Negotiations in the US Congress over new aid money for Ukraine have reached an impasse. A private briefing last night ended in a shouting match between Democrats and Republicans. Zoom call with President Zelensky was cancelled. The White House warned yesterday that the new package must come quickly, because the money will run out by the end of the year.
Negotiations over aid to Ukraine end in a shouting match between Democrats and Republicans
According to America’s Jan Postma, Republicans wanted to tie aid money to Ukraine, which was the subject of the briefing, to more money and resources for US border control. After all, immigration is a hot topic for Republicans. Democrats refused to talk about it because the briefing was supposed to be about Ukraine. “Republicans didn’t feel like they were being taken seriously, and Democrats just wanted to talk about Ukraine,” says Postma, who called the briefing “a new low.”
Read also | US support for Ukraine is drying up, and Zelensky makes an appeal
“Things are quite stuck.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also expected to address the press conference and personally explain why his country needs support. But he was reportedly called up at the last minute, and according to Postma, there is a lot of speculation about that. He calls it “frustrating for the White House,” and now members of the Biden administration must explain to Republicans why Ukraine needs more support.
Read also | Deteriorating international support jeopardizes Zelensky’s position