Republicans will not support aid to Ukraine without national security package

"This was a clear party-line vote on a national security package that we have to pass,” Risch said, adding that the consideration of the bill would not be delayed for long.

“We’re going to pass it. We had to convince our colleagues in the other party that we are very serious. We Republicans are very serious about closing our southern border. We have about 10,000 illegal immigrants crossing into the United States every day, and we have to secure our border first and foremost."

"The weeks and months that you are talking about are behind us, not in front of us. We've been talking about this for years, not weeks and months, and it's time to get serious."

The White House requested nearly $106 billion from Congress for global security on Oct. 20, with over $61 billion of that amount earmarked for Ukraine.

The Biden administration issued an urgent warning to Congress on Dec. 4 to approve tens of billions of dollars in military and economic aid to Ukraine. Otherwise, the U.S. will run out of funding to send weapons and assistance, risking “kneecapping” Ukraine on the battlefield, U.S. President Joe Biden said.

The U.S. Department of Defense has announced that only $5.9 billion remains in the budget for aid to Ukraine, Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder said during a briefing on Dec. 5.

Republican Speaker Mike Johnson announced on Dec. 5 that he would not support further military aid to Ukraine unless the issue of border security in the United States is resolved.

Democrats in the U.S. Senate introduced a $111 billion national security package, including aid to Ukraine and Israel, as well as funding for security for the southern border on Dec. 6.

However, the bill was blocked in a procedural vote by Republicans on Dec. 7.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy canceled a planned video conference appearance in front of the U.S. Congress that same day “at the last minute” due to an “urgent matter,” NV reported earlier.

Ukrainian presidential chief-of-staff Andrii Yermak, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and Strategic Industries Minister Alexander Kamyshin are all in the United States to hold meetings with high-ranking U.S. and NATO officials regarding arms production in Ukraine, U.S. political news outlet Politico reported on Dec. 5.