“Congress debates funding for Ukraine amidst diminishing Republican support and geopolitical tensions.”
Congress narrowly avoided a federal shutdown in a surprising turn of events when the House approved a temporary plan to keep the U.S. government operational until mid-November. This bill, designed to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of government agencies, notably excludes funding for Ukraine, despite significant advocacy for it from the White House and members of both major political parties in the Senate.
Both Democrats and Republicans express confidence in securing funding for Ukraine in the coming weeks. However, the absence of such funding in the current bill underscores a growing decline in Republican support for providing additional aid to Kyiv.
This omission foreshadows a potentially contentious battle ahead regarding funding for the war effort, particularly following the recent visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Washington, where he made a compelling case for ongoing U.S. support. To date, Congress has approved approximately $113 billion in aid since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and President Biden has requested an additional $24 billion for this purpose.
