The world’s eyes are currently fixed on Washington, where the processing of a bill to aid Ukraine is underway. Essentially, this bill is intended to enable Kyiv to continue its defence. The process is very complicated and tense, with nearly 140 amendments already proposed, some of which have caused surprise or even outrage.
Almost all the amendments have been introduced at the request of the Republicans, and it is clear that this is not the end. Here are some of the proposed changes:
- A categorical prohibition for the U.S. President to write off Ukraine’s debts in the future;
- A ban on Kyiv using any allocated funds for the payment of salaries and pensions to civil servants;
- Spending of funds allocated to Ukraine only after confirmation that NATO members contribute at least 2% of their GDP to defence.
The last requirement puts Ukraine in a dependent situation on other NATO countries. They could hinder support by simply not allocating defence funds, which could be repeatedly exploited by supporters of Russia. Thus, the chain of constant manipulations would continue, and the politicization of these issues would only increase.
Particularly controversial proposals have been voiced by Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has become widely known outside the US in recent weeks due to her radical rhetoric and statements, often uncensored. She has long been seen as a leading anti-Ukraine figure within Trump’s team, periodically sparking scandals on religious or national grounds.
This time, the demands of the well-known Republicans regarding funding for Ukraine include:
- Prohibiting funding for the “Azov” battalion;
- Withholding support until abortion is legally banned in Ukraine;
- Not approving support until President Volodymyr Zelenskyy resigns.
Additionally, there were strange speeches about Kyiv needing to provide a report on all the biolabs operating on Ukrainian territory and producing biological weapons. This rhetoric closely resembles that of the Kremlin, which was prevalent before and in the early months of the full-scale invasion. It seemed that stories about combat-infected mosquitoes were a thing of the past, but apparently not.
Based on the amendments that have been adopted and expressed, one can conclude: the vote on Saturday will not be simple, and it is not at all certain that it will yield the hoped-for positive result. How exactly it will occur will be known very soon.
