US aid to Ukraine: Senate Majority Leader sets date for vote

Politico reports.

On Sunday, November 26, Schumer made a statement urging lawmakers to strike a border security deal that could be in addition to much-needed aid to the two U.S. allies. 

Senate Republicans are seeking to make changes to border security policy as part of any supplemental spending bill, hoping that such a deal could purge the House majority of the Ukraine-reluctant GOP.

Schumer blamed this border demand as the “biggest holdup” in allocating new funds for Ukraine's defense against Russia and Israel's war with Hamas.

“This has injected a decades old, hyper-partisan issue into overwhelmingly bipartisan priorities,” Schumer said.

The Democratic leader said his caucus was "ready to work on common-sense solutions to address immigration," but warned that if the GOP took too hard a line, it could "jeopardize the entire" supplemental bill.

He also urged Democrats to engage more with Republicans to try to strike a deal.

It is noted that 60 votes for providing Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars more is likely, but Republicans have warned that they will not do so without a border deal, as they believe that Speaker Mike Johnson will not support a bill that does not include border security provisions.

Schumer's insistence on a vote in the Senate in early December gives the talks a deadline.

“Nothing would make autocrats like Putin or Xi happier right now than to see the United States waver in our support for the Ukrainian people and its military,” Schumer wrote in his letter, referring to the leaders of Russia and China. “This is not just about Ukrainian or Transatlantic security, it’s about American security as well because an unchecked Putin would be an emboldened Putin.”

Schumer also said that a briefing on Ukraine would be held for all senators in the coming days.

• November 21 During a visit to Ukraine, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin assures the country's leadership of continued US support.