US aid to Ukraine – What House Speaker says about Biden's statement and conversation with Zelensky – TSN Exclusive

Leaders of both parties in the United States Congress were able to agree on a state budget, thereby avoiding a new threat of a shutdown, which would mean the end of government funding.

This was reported by Olga Koshelenko, TSN's own correspondent in the United States.

Biden called on Republicans to vote for aid to Ukraine

President Joe Biden thanked Democratic leaders in both houses of Congress on Sunday evening, but reminded Republicans of the need to consider a request for additional funding, including continued aid to Ukraine. However, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, in an interview with the CBS channel, at the request of Republicans, never put on the table the agreement on the South American border, which is a prerequisite for voting for funds for Ukraine.

“Going into the Christmas break, lawmakers promised not to stop negotiations on the border. However, after the break, an agreement between Republicans and Democrats did not appear. At least House Speaker Mike Johnson says it still exists. No,” says Olga Koshelenko.

Danson's report on conversation with Zelensky

Johnson and Republicans visited the U.S. border with Mexico last week, where the number of illegal immigrants has only increased in recent weeks. Republicans wanted to keep the border tightly closed – this became one of their main election demands.

If the Democrats don't go for it, they refuse to vote not only on funding for Ukraine, but also on the US budget – so from January 19, government agencies may face the threat of funding cuts again. But on Sunday, congressional leaders reached a budget deal to avoid a shutdown.

“Now, Republicans in Congress must do their job, stop threatening to shut down the government, and fulfill their primary responsibility to fund critical homeland and national security priorities, including my request for additional funding. It's time to act,” Biden said. Report.

In an interview on Sunday with the SVS TV channel, Speaker Johnson, the third-ranking official in the country and therefore with access to all intelligence data, remained unchanged in his attitude on the issue of financing Ukraine: Putin is a dictator. , and he must be defeated, but America comes first.

Johnson says President Volodymyr Zelensky told him in a private conversation that Ukraine needed new funding after February. Johnson did not give a clear answer to the host's inquiry about whether Congress could deal with it at that time.

“He said during the meeting, and later in an interview with national media after our meeting, that he could get additional funding by February. He didn't need it in December, the White House indicated,” he said. .

Shalanda Young, the White House official in charge of the budget, recalled last week that at the end of December, the United States sent the last aid package of 250 million to Ukraine, and nothing else could be done until Congress approved new funds. . For some time, according to him, Kiev can survive with the help of Europe. But American money is also needed – she emphasized. Not to mention the bad signal the US is sending with its postponement to the pro-Ukraine global coalition.

We will remind you how the world reacted to the massive missile attacks of the Russian Federation.

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