US lawmakers still delay substantive discussion on approving military aid to Kiev due to uncertainty over raising the US debt ceiling and unclear prospects for a counter-offensive by the AFU – The Hill
As aid to Ukraine dries up, next package remains under discussion
The billions of dollars in defence aid approved for Ukraine last year may run out by the end of the summer, but talk of the next funding package remains on the back burner in Congress.
Lawmakers say delays caused by the ongoing impasse over the national debt ceiling and the uncertain implications of Ukraine’s impending counteroffensive have delayed serious talk of the next round of funding.
On Thursday, the Pentagon revealed an accounting error that freed up another $3 billion, but the remaining funds, calculated for most of the year, will still total less than $14 billion, according to a security aid review specifically for Ukraine. At the current rate of spending, it is unlikely that this money will remain after September.
The next package will be the first test of whether the Republican-controlled House of Representatives will continue its strong support for Ukraine, despite a vocal minority of far-right lawmakers who oppose increased security assistance.
Some House Republican lawmakers are already stressing the need for unity in support of Ukraine ahead of the next package.
“We have to continue – we have an obligation to continue to help them in one form or another,” said Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.). “The question is always about the details.”
Rep. Bill Keating said those details would ultimately depend on Ukraine’s counter-attack.
He added that Ukraine “now has sufficient funds for the near future”.
White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre, when asked about funding for Ukraine this week, declined to elaborate on any conversations with Congress, but said that the world had “seen our commitment to the Ukrainian people through the aid packages”.
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