As Congress deals with a new security assistance deal already passed by the Senate, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is speaking out.
The deal sets up some $60 billion worth of continued support for Ukraine’s defenses, and the aid extends beyond weapons and related military capabilities. In the lead-up to the Senate’s support for this arrangement, some reports already linked Russian military advances in Ukraine to supply shortages among the country’s forces allegedly tracing to the GOP-driven delay in Congress around actually teeing off new security assistance.
“I am grateful to every US Senator who made a morally strong choice today. Such a choice matters right now, not just for Ukraine but for every nation whose independence is a target for Russian strikes, current and planned, including those planned for the coming years,” an English statement posted to the official X (Twitter) account for Zelenskyy said Tuesday. “Putin’s ambitions have never been limited to Ukraine. His goals are far broader. This means that our defense solidarity must be even broader. The next step is a vote in the US House of Representatives. We anticipate an equally strong moral choice and a decision that will work for the benefit of our shared security.”
Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) clamored again after the Senate approved that aid deal, which also supports Israel and Taiwan, for action on the border and immigration, though Republicans rejected a proposal including changes in these areas. The plan included new powers for the federal government to close the southern border between ports of entry, meaning established crossing points. Johnson also opposed a past push from the Biden administration for $14 billion in new border security funding that would have expanded hiring on border security teams and added to the technology on hand for authorities to go after the dangerous drug fentanyl.
The path forward in the House for the Senate deal focusing on foreign aid was somewhat of an open question. In the meantime, some have pointed to some money designated for Ukraine aid actually going to American companies as weapons deliveries and other assistance are assembled.
