US Congress Will Not Reconsider Aid to Ukraine Until January

According to Senators Schumer and McConnell, difficulties in the negotiations on aid to Kyiv remain. Earlier, the US Defense Ministry warned that the money for military aid to Ukraine might run out by 30 December. The US Congress reconsider the issue of aid to Ukraine only in January 2024. This is stated in the joint declaration of the leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate Chuck Schumer and the leader of the Republican minority in the upper house of the US legislature Mitch McConnell, released on Tuesday, 19 December. Negotiators “have made encouraging progress” but “difficult issues remain”, the politicians pointed out. “Negotiators will work hard during the December and January recesses, and our goal is to reach something done once we get back work,” Schumer stressed to reporters. In addition, the talks on securing the United States border will continue after the legislators’ recess. Republican Senator from South Dakota John Thune rebuked the Democrats for being sluggish. Pentagon sees risk of running out of funds for military aid to Ukraine According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW), by the end of October, Washington have already allocated $43.8 billion for military aid to Kyiv since Russian troops have invaded the neighboring country. Previously, the White House claimed that the US Defense Ministry had used 97% of the funds received to help Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has warned that funds for military aid to Kyiv will run out by 30 December if lawmakers fail to reach an agreement. The US Congress has not yet approved further funding for aid to Kyiv In October, US President Joseph Biden sent a request to Congress for emergency funding of $106bn for Ukraine, Israel and operations in the Indo-Pacific region. Legislators have not yet agreed on the allocation of these funds. In mid-December, the White House head approved a new $200m military aid package for Kyiv.