Because of blocking aid to Ukraine
US President Biden accuses Donald Trump of sabotage
February 6, 2024, 9:35 p.m
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Joe Biden demands backbone from Congress with regard to aid to Ukraine. However, the Republicans have so far blocked a corresponding draft. The US President blames his predecessor Donald Trump for this.
US President Joe Biden has accused his predecessor, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, of undermining the passage of a billion-dollar aid package for Ukraine in the US Congress. “Everything points to this bill not even getting a vote in the Senate. Why? For one simple reason: Donald Trump. Because Donald Trump thinks it’s bad for him politically,” Biden said. “He would rather exploit this problem than actually solve it.”
The release of new US aid to Ukraine is being blocked by a domestic political dispute between Democrats and Republicans in the US Parliament. Among other things, Republicans have expressed doubts about support for Ukraine or reject it completely.
They also demand significantly more resources to secure the US border. Illegal immigration to the US is one of the dominant issues in the presidential election campaign. A legislative success for Biden could mean a disadvantage for Trump. Everything currently points to a new duel between Biden and Trump.
Aid package with 118 billion is hanging in Congress
On Sunday, US senators presented a proposal for a $118 billion aid package. This includes military aid worth billions for Ukraine and Israel as well as funds for border protection. On Monday, the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives said: “Any consideration of this bill in its current form is a waste of time. It is dead on arrival in the House of Representatives. We encourage the US Senate to reject it.”
Biden attributed this negative attitude to Trump’s efforts to torpedo the proposed law. In the past 24 hours, he “has done nothing other than threaten Republicans in the House of Representatives and Senate so that they will vote against this proposal,” the president said.
Republicans have said for years that they want to secure the border. “Now they have the strongest border law this country has ever seen.” The party must decide who it serves, Biden said: “Donald Trump or the American people?”
Scholz travels to Washington
Biden further emphasized that Ukraine is dependent on help from the USA. “The clock ticks every week, every month that passes without new help.” This plays into the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine has been fending off a Russian war of aggression since February 2022 and continues to need foreign support for this.
According to the government, the funds previously approved for the country by the US Congress have largely been used up. “The world is watching,” Biden said. “We cannot continue this petty partisan politics and shirk responsibility.”
Chancellor Olaf Scholz is traveling to Washington on Thursday and will meet Biden there on Friday. According to the White House, this will also be about the war in Ukraine. The Chancellor, for his part, urged EU partners to provide more military aid to the attacked country at a summit in Brussels last week. The appeal was aimed primarily at economically strong countries such as Italy, Spain and France.