Aid for Ukraine, European allies growing as US lawmakers shape budget bill

 Proposed US aid for Ukraine, European allies has grown beyond $12 billion, top Senator said, as congressional bargainers worked toward a bipartisan government-wide spending deal

Proposed US aid for Ukraine and its European allies has grown beyond $12 billion, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, as congressional bargainers worked toward a bipartisan government-wide spending deal that would also contain fresh sums for battling COVID-19. The remarks on Monday by Schumer, D-N.Y., underscored the momentum in Congress for helping outgunned Ukraine fend off Russian invaders and assisting that country and others cope with refugees and other economic and humanitarian problems caused by the brutal attack.

The clearest signal Congress can send to Vladimir Putin this week is passing a bipartisan aid package, said Schumer, referring to the Russian president, leaving no doubt that the democratic nations of the world stand with Ukraine and against Putin’s deeply immoral and bloody war. Schumer said the assistance would pay for refugees, medical and food supplies, weapons transfers to Ukraine and aid for nearby NATO allies. The apparent growth of the Ukraine aid also illustrated eleventh-hour negotiations underway among lawmakers as they try completing the long overdue $1.5 trillion government spending measure by Friday…Read More