US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told CNBC on 20 November that passing legislation to provide further military aid to Ukraine is a “critical priority” for US President Joe Biden and for national security.
The Biden administration’s proposal for a $105 billion security aid package faces pushback from some Republican legislators, leaving the bill in limbo as US Congress enters a two-week recess.
“We can’t allow Ukraine to lose a battle on the home front because it lacks enough money to keep schoolteachers in the classroom and first responders on the job, when it’s fighting valiantly on the battlefield, so Ukraine is utterly dependent on this aid,” Yellen said.
She emphasized that the US must contribute in tandem with the European Parliament’s recent approval of a 50 billion euro aid package for Ukraine and the IMF’s provision of a $15.6 billion funding facility.
“This aid is critical to the national security of America. If Putin were to win this brutal war in Ukraine, next we might see an attack in a NATO ally of ours. We need to stop this,” Yellen said.
Earlier, the Pentagon urged Congress to pass funding for Ukraine, saying that this funding means investment in the US industrial base, meaning “greater prosperity at home and greater security” overseas.
Read also:
- US aid package includes HIMARS launcher, possibly for GLSDB use
- Biden: we are keeping American troops out of war by supporting the brave Ukrainians
- Pentagon urges Congress to pass funding for Ukraine, Israel
- Financial Times: US Congress is far from passing Biden’s $106 billion request for security aid to Ukraine and Israel
