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The chaos in Congress makes United States (US) President Joe Biden worried that it will disrupt aid to Ukraine. Photo/Illustration
WASHINGTON – Chaos in Congress makes United States (US) President Joe Biden worried that it will disrupt aid to Ukraine. To that end, he will soon give an important speech to explain why it is necessary to help Ukraine expel the Russian invaders.
Internal Republican disputes in the US House of Representatives (DPR) have complicated budget negotiations. Biden, who initially believed he would lock in a deal on aid for Ukraine, is now worried about the fate of his top foreign policy funding priority.
When asked whether he was concerned the United States would not be able to provide promised aid to Ukraine because of the chaos on Capitol Hill, Biden said: “It does concern me…but I know there are majorities of the House and Senate in both parties who have said they support Ukrainian funding,” as quoted by Channel News Asia, Thursday (5/10/2023).
Biden in July asked Congress to approve an additional $24 billion in funding related to Ukraine, which Ukraine supporters – Republicans and Democrats – hope could become law as part of a spending bill. The White House said Tuesday that current funding levels will last for about another two months.
Biden sought to reassure U.S. allies in his call on Tuesday that U.S. assistance will continue unimpeded as Ukrainian forces continue counteroffensive to try to retake territory lost since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
“The president’s message is that the United States can definitely continue to be relied on on this issue in the future,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told reporters in Berlin.
Biden did not say when he would deliver a speech on the topic but indicated it would be delivered soon. The White House declined to comment and an official said the speech was not currently on Biden’s schedule.
“I would argue that Ukraine’s success is in the interest of the United States and in the interest of all of us,” he said.