The US Senate rejected a bill on a new $1 billion package for Ukraine and Israel. Republicans first demand tougher measures on the border between the United States and Mexico.
Among the senators, 49 voted in favor of the bill and 51 voted against it. As a result, President Joe Biden did not receive the 60 votes needed for continued support.
Biden wants to support both Ukraine and Israel with an aid package worth about $110 billion (102 billion euros). The White House warned this week that the United States is running out of money and time to help Ukraine.
Republicans want aid to Ukraine and Israel to go hand in hand with major changes to border controls. They want to tighten immigration controls along the US border with Mexico. According to them, the draft law does not meet their demands.
According to Biden, Putin receives ‘the greatest gift’
Before the vote, Biden gave a speech urging Congress to pass the bill. He called it “mind-boggling” that the United States has reached a point “where Republicans in Congress are willing to give Putin the biggest gift he could hope for.”
The US President also said that Putin would not stop if he took over Ukraine. According to him, after the victory in Ukraine, Russia may attack one of the NATO members, “and American soldiers will have to fight with Russian soldiers.”
Biden said in his speech that he is willing to compromise with Republicans on other issues in exchange for support for Ukraine. He pointed, among other things, to security on the border with Mexico.
Ontvang meldingen bij nieuws over de oorlog in Oekraïne
Russia is counting on the collapse of Western support for Ukraine
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia is counting on the collapse of Western support for Ukraine. He warned of this during a virtual meeting with G7 leaders. This is a group of seven industrialized countries, including the United States.
“Russia hopes for one thing: that the unity of the free world will collapse next year,” Zelensky said at the meeting. He added: “Russia believes that America and Europe will show weakness and will not maintain their support for Ukraine at the appropriate level.”
In Europe, the support package for Ukraine is also not going well. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban opposes a new package worth 50 billion euros.
