U.S. senators have expressed bipartisan support for a yearlong $50-100 billion aid package, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Oct. 9.
Senators from both sides have spoken in favor of a “one-and-done” Ukraine aid package, a strategy U.S. President Joe Biden has reportedly been considering amid political chaos surrounding budget negotiations in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The package, if agreed upon, could be passed before the expiration of the current spending bill on November 17.
The proposed package ranges from $50-100 billion and represents a significant increase from the $24 billion in funding that Biden proposed in August.
Senators told the Wall Street Journal that one large funding package would "give Ukraine a sense of confidence" and was more advantageous "from a political point of view."
Funding for Ukraine was dropped from the spending bill passed on Sept. 30 to avert a U.S. government shutdown, leading to doubts over American support.
While there is still strong bipartisan support in the House of Representatives for Ukraine funding, the topic continues to be a major point of debate.
When Representative Matt Gaetz proposed ending all military aid to Ukraine, 93 Republicans voted in favor of the measure while 126 Republicans and 213 Democrats voted against, NBC News reported.
The United States has been the largest provider of military assistance since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to a Council on Foreign Relations report.
As the Ukrainian military prepares for winter and international support declines, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took part in the European Political Community Summit to shore up support from European leaders.
"Ukraine's key priority, particularly as winter approaches, is to strengthen air defense,” Zelensky said at the conference last week. “We have already laid the groundwork for new agreements with partners and look forward to their approval and implementation.”
