The senator explained the Republicans’ refusal to support the financial aid package for Ukraine by their desire to prove the need to stop illegal migration across the southern border of the United States.
“This was a very party-line vote on the national security package that we should pass. We will pass it. We had to convince our colleagues from the other party that we were very serious. We Republicans take closing our southern border very seriously.” “We have about 10,000 illegal immigrants a day crossing the border into the United States, and we need to protect our border first and foremost,” Risch said.
According to him, although discussions about border protection may last for months and years, this will not delay decisions on financial assistance to Ukraine.
“The weeks and months you’re talking about are behind us, not in front of us. We’ve been talking about this (protecting the US border – Ed.) not just for weeks and months, but for years, and it’s time to take it seriously,” – he said.
A ranking member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Republican Senator Jim Risch has consistently supported Ukraine. But he, like other Republicans in the Senate, did not support the start of consideration of a bill on financial support for Ukraine.
Problems with US financial assistance for Ukraine
Ukraine is on the verge of losing US military support due to delays in the adoption of financial assistance packages by the US Congress.
On December 6, the Senate blocked the start of debate on Joe Biden’s $106 billion aid package, which would provide more than $61 billion for Ukraine’s defense needs. The reason was the Republicans’ demands to add stricter requirements to the bill to protect the US southern border with Mexico.
US President Joe Biden criticized this Senate decision and accused the Republicans of playing political games.
At the same time, the White House is ready to make compromises on tightening border crossing rules for migrants in order to gain GOP votes to approve aid to Ukraine.
Read urgent and important messages about Russia’s war against Ukraine on the channel RBC-Ukraine on Telegram.
2023-12-10 00:16:00
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