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US lawmakers to vote on Ukraine aid in 2024: reports

20.12.2023 17:00
The US Senate will not vote on President Joe Biden's USD 61 billion security assistance package for Ukraine before early 2024, top lawmakers have said. 
The US Congress headquarters, the Capitol, in Washington.
The US Congress headquarters, the Capitol, in Washington.Rizka, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell announced the decision in a joint statement on Tuesday night, the Reuters news agency reported. 

They said that negotiators were making "encouraging progress" regarding the USD 61 billion Ukraine aid package but "challenging issues remain" and so the goal was to vote on the measure "as soon as" Senate returns from the December-January break period.

The package would then have to be approved by the House of Representatives, controlled by the Republicans, who have demanded  that Biden pair the Ukraine aid with tougher border policies, according to news outlets.

The US president has urged Congress to  "stand with Ukraine" and approve the package.

The White House has warned that otherwise by the end of this year American aid will run out to help Ukraine fight the Russian invasion, the Reuters news agency reported. 

Wednesday is day 665 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.

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Source: Reuters, Ukrainska Pravda