“We are running out of money and soon to run out of time. » According to the White House, American military aid to Ukraine could be cut sharply in the coming weeks, due to lack of budget agreement with the Republican opposition.
White House Ultimatum
“If Congress does not act, by the end of the year we will run out of resources to deliver more weapons and equipment to Ukraine and to supply material from U.S. military stockpiles,” wrote White House Budget Director Shalanda Young, in a letter addressed to Mike Johnson, head of the House of Representatives, with a Republican majority.
Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, then affirmed during a press conference that “Congress must decide whether to continue supporting the fight for freedom in Ukraine (…), or he will ignore the lessons we have learned from history and allow (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to prevail.”
$60 billion requested
Democratic President Joe Biden asked Congress on October 20 to vote for an exceptional package of more than $100 billion to respond to current emergencies, namely helping Israel and Ukraine and responding to migrant arrivals at the southern border. Of this amount, more than 60 billion dollars must go to Ukraine, of which the United States is by far the main supporter since Russia’s invasion at the end of February 2022.
Vote this week in the Senate
American elected officials must be briefed this Tuesday on the situation in Ukraine, and the leader of the Democrats, Chuck Schumer, could request a vote on Wednesday or Thursday. But a majority of Republican senators are in favor of continuing to support kyiv, this time they are threatening to vote on their behalf if the Democrats do not agree at the same time to toughen migration policy on the southern border, particularly on the right to asylum. “I will not vote for any aid until our border is secure,” threatened Lindsey Graham.
To prevent the text from being destroyed by parliamentary obstruction, 60 senators out of 100 are needed. The Democrats therefore need the support of 10 Republicans. But the negotiations, which reached an impasse on Friday, still seem to have no solution.
Uncertainty in the House
The new Republican Speaker, Mike Johnson, responded curtly to the White House on on a way out of the conflict, or on how to supervise the use of American taxpayers’ money. »
While most of his Republican colleagues refuse to send more aid to Ukraine, Mike Johnson is also trying to use immigration as a bargaining chip, while a new battle over the early budget is already looming. 2024.
The last chance budget at the start of 2024?
If the White House is sounding the alarm, the situation does not seem to be as drastic as described. According to THE New York Timesthere remains $4.8 billion from the previous envelopes (out of $113 billion in total), and the Pentagon estimates that it can make this amount last through the winter, with fighting expected to slow down.
If the American Congress fails to find a compromise in 2024, everything will be decided at the start of next year: while a budget extension had avoided a “shutdown” at the end of November, a budget must be voted on in two half-steps. January and early February. The White House could use this deadline to put pressure on the Republicans.