The US Senate blocked the bill for a vote on aid to Ukraine

The U.S. Senate has blocked the advancement of a bill aimed at providing assistance to Ukraine for a vote. This was anticipated as both Republicans and Democrats have failed to reach an agreement: Republicans insist on including measures to strengthen the American border within the bill.

Surprisingly, the blockade came from the Senate, where Democrats hold the majority, rather than the House of Representatives, where Republicans dominate. The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden is currently attempting to persuade Congress to pass a bill allocating over $100 billion in aid to U.S. allies.

A significant portion of this aid is earmarked for Ukraine, totaling $61 billion (the rest is designated for Israel and Taiwan). However, Republicans, who control the lower house of Congress, are obstructing this move. Their demand is to include provisions and resources within the same bill to bolster the border with Mexico and tighten immigration laws. Democrats vehemently oppose this, unwilling to risk undermining their electoral base less than a year before the presidential elections.

There’s a substantial risk of losing the war without U.S. assistance. This was emphasized by Andriy Yermak, the head of the Office of the President in Ukraine, during his visit to the United States. Yermak stated that rejecting direct budgetary support for Ukraine poses a threat, as the Ukrainian government expects a budget deficit of $43 billion next year.