Senate Republicans voted against aid to Ukraine and Israel even though it included their demands on border control.
The US Senate has blocked the $118 billion package that included military aid to Ukraine and Israel as well as additional resources for protecting the Mexican border. This was a procedural vote needing at least 60 votes to pass. On Wednesday’s vote, the bill got 49 votes.
The bill included measures to reinforce the Southern Border, something many Republicans demanded in previous impasses on the same deal. According to Republican senator Lisa Murkowski, failing to pass this legislation hampers GOP credibility to negotiate.
Along with the southern border measures, the bill included billions in foreign military aid to Israel and Ukraine. The latter country would have received the largest chunk of the measure, as it continues its defense against the ful-scale Russian invasion.
Former US president and Republican candidate Donald Trump pushed to kill the bill, even though it included measures closer to Republican interests. Trump sees the border issue as a weakness for President Biden, and a settlement now would prevent Trump from playing this card.
The war in Israel, on the other hand, is almost a bipartisan issue: both political forces want to move forward with aid to the Middle Eastern country. During the weekend, Senate Republicans proposed a bill including only aid to Israel, but it was killed almost immediately.
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What happens now
The issue of foreign aid continues after months of unsuccessful negotiations. Originally, Republicans demanded support measures for the southern border be included in the bill. Now, however, they made clear the real issue is Ukraine.
Wednesday’s vote failed to achieve even a relative majority because several Democrats voted “No”. Now, a separate vote on foreign to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan will likely take place in the future.
This separate package will also need 60 votes to pass, an unlikely scenario given Republican opposition.
On the frontline, Ukraine received the last US weapons and is now facing a renewed offensive by Russia. Advances by the Russian Armed Forces have been recorded in the northeast of the country, in the Avdeevka direction (Donetsk Oblast).
While the European Union finally agreed on a $50 billion financial support to Ukraine, this bill does not include weapon purchase measures.
Without Western help, Ukraine will likely lose the war. The lack of manpower and military resources is already putting a strain on the battle-hardened Ukrainian people. Russian air strikes on civilian targets continue on a weekly basis.
