As of: February 8, 2024, 5:05 a.m
By: Stefan Krieger
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The US Senate presents a new draft for Ukraine aid and border security.
Donald Trump comments on the package – and clearly.
Update from February 7th, 9:35 p.m.:
Shock for Ukraine: The US Senate has rejected a billion-dollar legislative package worth $118 billion.
The money was intended, among other things, for aid to Ukraine.
As the
AFP
reports, the package failed to pass on Wednesday due to a lack of approval from Republicans.
Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced there would be a quick second vote that would focus only on foreign aid.
Democrats against Republican aid to Ukraine
Update from February 6th, 6:40 a.m.:
The government of US President Joe Biden wants to veto a bill supported by Republicans in the House of Representatives that would, among other things, provide aid to Ukraine.
“The administration strongly opposes this proposal, which does nothing to secure the border, does not help the Ukrainian people defend themselves against Putin's aggression, does not support the security of American synagogues, mosques and vulnerable places of worship, and does not support Palestinian civilians, most of whom are women and children are denied humanitarian assistance,” the White House Office of Management and Budget said in a statement on Monday (local time).
“The administration urges both houses of Congress to reject this political ploy and instead quickly place the bipartisan supplemental national security appropriations bill on the President’s desk.”
Trump against US aid package for Ukraine
Update from February 5th, 6:25 p.m.:
Former President Donald Trump has called on members of his Republican Party to vote against the latest draft for a Ukraine aid package - despite the associated better US border security.
“Don’t be stupid,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
“We need a separate border and immigration law,” which should not be “in any way linked to foreign aid.”
The 77-year-old further describes the law as “a great gift for the Democrats and a death wish for the Republican Party.”
Opposes a new aid package for Ukraine: Donald Trump.
(Archive photo) © Matt Rourke/dpa
First report:
Washington, DC - On Sunday (February 4, 2024, local time) the US Senate presented a new draft for an aid package for Kiev in the Ukraine war and better security of the US borders.
The so-called "National Security Amendment" totals $118.3 billion (109.8 billion euros), including $60 billion to support Ukraine, according to a summary released by Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray.
This amount corresponds to the demand of the White House.
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Johnson: “Bill is even worse than expected”
According to House Speaker Republican Mike Johnson, the proposal will be “dead” once it reaches the House.
“This bill is even worse than expected,” Johnson wrote on X.
Johnson had previously spoken out in favor of handling aid funds for Ukraine and Israel separately and even fundamentally questioned benefits for Ukraine.
On Saturday he said he plans to vote this week on his own bill that would provide $17.6 billion in military aid to Israel.
This measure does not contain any new funding for Ukraine or for U.S. border security.
Senate presents $60 million aid package for Ukraine
In addition to $20.23 billion for border security at home, the new aid package presented by the US Senate also includes, after months of discussions, $60.06 billion in support for Ukraine and $14.1 billion for Israel's security.
The bill also includes $10 billion in humanitarian aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Ukraine.
In addition, $2.44 billion is earmarked for the US Central Command and the US deployment in the Red Sea, as well as $4.83 billion for supporting US partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
“The United States and our allies face diverse, complex and sometimes coordinated challenges from adversaries seeking to disrupt democracy and expand authoritarian influence around the world,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Sunday (local time). ) at a press conference.
Schumer urges quick vote
Even though this move met with resistance from some Democrats immediately after it was announced, but especially from hardliners among the Republicans, it is apparently the result of particularly good cooperation between Chuck Schumer and the leading Republican in the Senate, Mitch McConnell.
Schumer told reporters that he had never worked as closely with his long-time Senate colleague McConnell as he did on this bill, adding: "On many occasions we thought the negotiations had failed."
He announced that he would now work to ensure that a first vote could be held on Wednesday.
McConnell declared that Republicans would not get a better deal even with a Republican president.
Biden welcomes the draft: “Put it on my table”
However, the bill – even if it passes the Senate – is likely to fail in the House of Representatives.
There, the opposition Republicans, among whom there are many opponents of new aid to Ukraine and resistance to a border compromise with the Democrats, make up the majority.
President Joe Biden's Democratic Party has been wrestling with Republicans in Congress for weeks over an aid package for Ukraine.
In return for their approval, Republicans are demanding tougher measures to secure the US border with Mexico.
US President Joe Biden welcomed the new bill introduced by the Senate and said: “I call on Congress to quickly pass this bipartisan bill.
Put it on my table so I can sign it and make it a law immediately.”
The conservatives can block further funding for Ukraine as well as border protection legislation with their majority in the House of Representatives.
That would be exactly what Johnson suggested in his first statement.
(skr/afp/rtr)