NYT: The US is risking its reputation due to problems with approving aid to Kyiv in Congress
A group of American ambassadors to the countries of the Indo-Pacific region called on the US Congress to pass a bill to help Ukraine and Israel. Diplomats have warned that Washington risks losing the trust of its allies due to lawmakers' failure to reach an agreement. The letter from nine ambassadors is cited by The New York Times (NYT).
The material suggests that the governments of US partner countries are watching Washington's decisions at a turning point in history, when decisions made will have long-term consequences for many years to come.
They want to see that when the going gets tough, the United States will stand by our allies and partners
The newspaper writes that such public appeals are not typical for diplomats, who try to refrain from internal political discussions.
None of us have ever signed a letter like this. But given the gravity of the historical moment, we feel it necessary to share with you our direct and honest assessment
The publication notes that the appeal to the US Congress was signed by American ambassadors in South Korea, Japan, Australia, the Philippines, India, China, New Zealand, Malaysia and Vietnam. The material states that failure to implement the aid plan for Ukraine “could embolden China” in the Asia-Pacific region.
Related materials:
The House of Representatives did not support the bill to help Israel without Ukraine
The US House of Representatives did not support an aid bill for Israel that did not include funds for Ukraine, voting results show.
180 legislators voted against, while the document requires the support of more than two-thirds of congressmen to pass.
On February 3, it became known that the US House of Representatives would consider a bill to allocate aid to Israel without providing funds to Ukraine. Lawmakers proposed allocating $17.6 billion to Israel, but separately from the funding package for Kyiv.
The US Senate has proposed a compromise bill that includes funds for Ukraine
The US Senate, in turn, presented a compromise bill on assistance to Ukraine, Israel and the protection of the southern border for $118 billion, which proposes to allocate $60 billion to help Ukraine and 20.23 billion to resolve the crisis on the southern border of the United States .
Former American leader Donald Trump criticized the text of the bill, calling it “monstrous” and shifting the problems of Democrats onto the shoulders of Republicans.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said that if the bill reaches the House of Representatives, it is doomed to failure.
GOP Speaker and Oklahoma Senator James Lankford confirmed that “Republicans will likely unite to block the legislation” during the vote on Wednesday, February 7.
Related materials:
The Senate does not see the prerequisites for passing a compromise bill
Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell did not see the prerequisites for passing a compromise bill that included assistance to Ukraine.
It seems to me and the majority of our members that we have no real chance of passing this law here.
US President Joe Biden shares a similar opinion. All signs indicate that the package bill on assistance to Ukraine, Israel, as well as tightening control measures on the southern border of the United States will not be put to a vote in the Senate, the head of state noted.
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