US President Joe Biden approved a draft US budget for 45 days, which did not include assistance to Ukraine. The document was approved immediately after approval by both houses of Congress, as a result, the country’s authorities managed to avoid a shutdown 2.5 hours before it began, RBC notes.
As indicated in a statement on the White House website, the project included only government funding and support for victims of natural disasters, but not assistance to Ukraine.
Biden called the adopted project “good news for the American people.” He explained that if the document had not been adopted, it would have caused a crisis. A shutdown would begin—a partial stoppage of government work.
Biden acknowledged that the vast majority of Congress strongly supports Ukraine, but there is no new funding in the budget proposal to continue that support. However, the US leader added that he would not allow American support for Ukraine to be interrupted.
Let us note that the longest shutdown in the history of the country occurred under Donald Trump; it lasted 34 days and ended on January 25, 2019.
Previously, the majority in the Senate and the minority in the House of Representatives proposed adopting an interim budget that included $6 billion in aid to Ukraine instead of $24 billion, and extending the work until November 17. However, Speaker of the US House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy spoke in favor of excluding funds for assistance to Ukraine from this bill. At the same time, the Pentagon warned that “almost all available funding” for security assistance to Ukraine has been exhausted, expressing hope that McCarthy will introduce a separate bill to provide such assistance.
Source: Rosbalt
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