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Classified intelligence briefing for US senators falls apart

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Classified intelligence briefing for US senators falls apart
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer at a press conference on Nov. 15, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

A classified Dec. 5 session about Ukraine and Israel led by the secretaries of defense and state, as well top intelligence officials, became heated and "fell apart" with Republicans storming out, NBC News reported.

The special briefing was held behind closed doors to allow all 100 U.S. senators to ask questions about the administration's funding request of $106 billion.

Republicans members in both chambers are demanding fundamental changes to U.S. immigration policy to stem irregular migration at the southern border in exchange for passing new Ukraine aid.

“People got up and walked out, because this is a waste of time," one senator told reporters.

The incident comes just a day after White House Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young warned lawmakers that the U.S. is already out of money for the fledging democracy.

Last year, congress allocated $111 billion to assist Ukraine, including $67 billion in military procurement funding, $27 billion for economic and civil assistance and $10 billion for humanitarian aid. Young says 97% of the money had been depleted by mid-November.

Zelensky cancels address to US senators as Republicans rally against aid package
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that President Volodymyr Zelensky canceled his video address to U.S. senators scheduled for Dec. 5, The New York Times reported.
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Lance Luo

Lance Luo (Li P. Luo) is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. Previously, he worked at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Hromadske Television in Kyiv. He also spent three years in finance and strategy consulting. Mr. Luo graduated from the University of Southern California and serves as an arbitrator at FINRA.

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