US State Department: Congress must 'take action' on Ukraine funding

United States lawmakers' failure to pass a resolution that includes funds for Ukraine is a disappointment, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a press briefing Oct. 2.

"It is imperative that Congress take action," Miller said.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a stopgap measure on Sept. 30 to avert a government shutdown. The bill funds the government for 45 days, but does not include provisions for further Ukraine aid.

“I’d like to echo the president’s disappointment that, despite longstanding and strong bipartisan support for Ukraine as it fights back against Russia’s invasion, that the continuing resolution that passed Congress on Saturday did not include desperately needed support,” Miller said.

Miller also said that while the U.S. could continue offering security assistance to Ukraine "in the immediate term," much of that funding has already been depleted.

"Strong majorities in both houses support continued assistance to Ukraine, because this is not simply about Ukraine. This is about the world we live in," Miller said.

Miller said that allowing figures like Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to "do whatever they want to other sovereign countries" would ultimately prove "far more dangerous for the American people."

"Our allies, our adversaries, and the world will be watching," he said.

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