Patricia Zengler
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Democratic and Republican lawmakers said on Thursday they want to continue funding and funding Ukraine’s fight against a Russian invasion weapons, condemning Moscow’s plan to annex four Ukrainian regions.
“We have not won this victory. We need to continue to support the Ukrainians,” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez, a Democrat, told reporters after a classified briefing about the conflict.
Senate passed a bill to fund federal government by December 16 and send $12.3 Provided billions of dollars in military and economic aid to Ukraine. The bill, set to pass the House on Friday, also authorizes President Joe Biden to direct the withdrawal of up to $3.7 billion for the transfer of weapons from U.S. stockpiles to Ukraine.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he wanted to “send a very clear signal” that Ukraine will be provided with more information when Congress returns to Washington after the Nov. 8 midterm elections. economic and military aid.
“This is a defining moment for the territorial integrity of the world,” Graham said at a news conference as he and Democrat Richard Blumenthal introduced a bill to cut U.S. aid to any country that recognizes Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territory.
“We are dealing with Hurricane Putin,” Graham said after expressing his best wishes to U.S. citizens affected by powerful Hurricane Ian.
Graham and Blumenthal also called on Biden to designate a state sponsor of Russian terrorism, which the administration says is not the most effective way to hold Russia accountable.
The Blumenthal and Graham bill is one of several recently introduced in Congress aimed at boosting Ukraine.
Some proposals could become part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a massive Pentagon bill-making policy expected to pass by the end of the year .
On Thursday, Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Republican Pat Toomey filed amendments to the NDAA proposing that the Biden administration use secondary sanctions to strengthen G7 countries A planned price cap on Russian oil.
