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"We now know for sure that the great fire of the Marywilska shopping centre in Warsaw was caused by arson ordered by the Russian special services," Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X. "Some of the perpetrators have already been detained, all the others are identified and searched for."

This week, the world watched in anticipation for Russia’s Victory Day parade after President Volodymyr Zelensky commented that he could not guarantee the safety of those attending. Meanwhile, the European Union moves one step forward to banning Russian gas from the European continent. It is also revealed this week that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has fallen out of step with the White House.

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Official: Potential US Government shutdown could put Ukraine aid at risk

1 min read

The possibility of an impending government shutdown in the U.S. may threaten to disrupt the flow of military aid to Ukraine, a Pentagon spokesman stated to Politico in an article published on Sept. 19.

Disputes about future spending, both within the Republican party and across party lines, have prevented an agreement that will continue to fund the government before the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, 2023. If no bills are passed, the federal government will effectively “shut down”, with an exemption for matters of national security.

It remains unclear whether military aid for Ukraine, which includes training programs for Ukrainian soldiers, and the shipment of arms, would be included in this exemption.

Deadlock on a variety of issues, many of which unrelated to Ukraine, has so far prevented the signing of an agreement that would prevent the impending shutdown.

However, due to a previously reported accounting error by the Pentagon that allowed for an additional $6.2 billion in military aid, funding for the continued weapons shipments would be able to continue even in the case of a shutdown. The already earmarked funding is not subject to fiscal year limitations, but could still be interrupted due to furloughs and other shutdown related disruptions.

During the presidency of Donald Trump, there were two government shutdowns, with one, a dispute over funding of the Mexico border wall, lasting 35 days.

Poll: Majority of Americans support continued aid for Ukraine
A new poll released by Ukrainian grassroots organization Razom has recorded 63% of respondents in the U.S. expressing support for continued military aid to Ukraine.
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Nate Ostiller

News Editor

Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.

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