Ambassador comments on failed vote on aid package for Ukraine in US Senate

Ukraine’s Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova wrote about this on Facebook.

"As we predicted, the Senate did not support the end of debate on the bill on the international aid package. Today, 51 senators (49 Republicans, 1 independent (Sanders) and 1 Democrat (Democratic leader Schumer, who voted last when the outcome was clear) voted against ending debate on the bill on the international aid package released the day before, which included Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific states," the statement says. 

According to her, with the 60 votes needed to pass the bill, 49 senators (47 Democrats and 2 independents) voted in favor of starting work on the bill.

Markarova noted that this does not preclude the possibility of reintroducing the bill for a vote in the near future. Representatives of the Republican Party, who had previously announced a negative vote on international aid, said they could not support a bill that did not address the issue of the southern border of the United States and changes in migration policy.

She also emphasized that Ukrainian diplomats continue to work actively and hope that before Christmas, the Congress will support an agreed package that will include defense, budget, humanitarian and energy assistance for Ukraine for 2024.

• The US Senate failed a procedural vote to begin work on legislation to provide emergency aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan worth about USD 106 billion.
• Out of the required 60 votes, 50 congressmen voted in favor of the decision, and 50 voted against it.
• The draft law provided for additional funding of about USD 106 billion, of which USD 61 billion was to be used to help Ukraine.