(Washington) The American Senate took a crucial step on Sunday for the adoption of colossal new aid to Ukraine, but the granting of this envelope eagerly awaited in Kyiv risks encountering a categorical refusal from Trumpist Republicans from the other house of Congress.
The text notably provides 60 billion for Ukraine – which has been fighting against a Russian invasion since February 2022 – and 14 billion for Israel against Hamas.
By gathering 67 votes for this procedural vote, the Senate indicates that it has the necessary votes for the subsequent approval of this envelope.
The date of the next vote in the upper house is not yet known, but it could be held at the beginning of the week. In the House of Representatives, the measure will face stiff opposition from right-wing Republican elected officials.
The package also includes funds for a strategic ally of the United States, Taiwan.
The lion’s share, however, would go to Ukraine and help it replenish its stocks of munitions, weapons and other essential needs as the country enters a third year of war.
“Ukraine is dangerously short of reserves. If America does not send aid to Ukraine with this national security bill, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has every chance of succeeding,” the majority leader warned before the vote Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer.
The elected official underlined the rare fact that the vote was held on a Super Bowl Sunday, the very popular high mass of American football.
Pitfalls
“Today, it is no exaggeration to say that the eyes of the world are on the American Senate,” said the leader of the Republicans in the upper house, Mitch McConnell.
“We did not equip the brave people of Ukraine, Israel or Taiwan with lethal equipment in order to win philanthropic honors […]. We do it because it is in our own interest,” he added.
Two years after the start of the Russian invasion, elected officials from the United States, the main military supporter of Ukraine, are unable to agree on the validation of new funds.
The Democrats are, in the vast majority, in favor.
The Republicans are divided between interventionist hawks, pro-Ukraine, and lieutenants of Donald Trump, who are much more isolationist.
The latter strongly criticize the continuation of American aid to Ukraine, affirming in particular that their country should not continue to disburse tens of billions of dollars as long as the United States border with Mexico is not “secure” .
But while the bill initially included a reform of migration policy, this was removed from the text having passed this crucial stage on Sunday.
The process, however, remains fraught with pitfalls for this envelope.
In the midst of the presidential campaign, the equation has transformed into a standoff between Democratic President Joe Biden, who is urgently demanding these new funds, and his predecessor Donald Trump, who assures that if he were re-elected in November , he would resolve the war between Russia and Ukraine “in 24 hours” – without explaining how.
Even without a mandate, the former president recently managed to torpedo the conclusion in Congress of a compromise on the package for Ukraine.
And on Saturday, he threatened, in the event of his return to the White House, to no longer guarantee the protection of NATO countries against Russia if they did not pay their share, even affirming that he would “encourage » Moscow to attack them.
Joe Biden on Sunday described his comments as “distressing and dangerous”.