The News
U.S. President Joe Biden is asking Congress to approve about $24 billion in additional military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
We’ve curated reporting and insights from experts about the upcoming spending fight.
Insights
- Aiding Ukraine in the war against Russia generally has bipartisan backing in Congress, but staunch opponents, who don’t want to send another dollar to Ukraine without accounting for the $43 billion already sent, could make the fight contentious, Politico reported. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he was confident in the bipartisan support, while Republican Rep. Mike Collins simply responded: “No.”
- It is the first time Congress is being asked to increase spending for Ukraine since Republicans took control of the House earlier this year. That will test the level of Republican support and could put Speaker Kevin McCarthy in a difficult spot, as he faces pressure from the far-right faction of his party to cut Ukraine off. — The New York Times
- Stopping Russia now “is exceptionally good value for the $,″ Retired U.S. Admiral James Stavridis said. Funding Ukraine means destroying Russian military capability that the U.S. would otherwise have to be prepared to defend against, Stavridis said. The sentiment was echoed by Poland’s President Andrzej Duda, a conservative populist leader, who told The Washington Post that the U.S. should approve more Ukraine aid now as “Russian imperialism can be stopped cheaply, because American soldiers are not dying.”
- A new CNN poll found that 55% of Americans, including 71% of Republicans, believe the U.S. should not authorize more funding for Ukraine. Much of the Republican 2024 field has expressed skepticism at writing a blank check to Ukraine, though candidates’ stances vary on how much the U.S. should be involved in the war.
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