Kiev 'Shocked' by Republican Threats to Halt US Aid, Ukrainian Chief Negotiator Says
© AP Photo / Mosa'ab Elshamy
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Davyd Arakhamia, Ukraine's negotiator at now-stalled peace talks with Russia, said that Kiev was "shocked" as the Republicans warned they would cut US aid to Ukraine in the event of an election victory.
On Tuesday, US House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy pledged that if the Republicans get the majority of seats in the lower chamber of the Congress in the midterm elections, Ukraine will not get a "blank check" for assistance given a looming recession in the United States.
"We were shocked to hear these comments of Mr McCarthy, honestly," Arakhamia told the Financial Times on Wednesday.
Arakhamia noted that he met with McCarthy during a recent visit to Washington and was convinced that the US would continue to support Kiev.
"Just a few weeks ago, our delegation visited the US and had a meeting with Mr McCarthy... We were assured that bipartisan support of Ukraine in its war with Russia will remain a top priority even if they win in the elections", Arakhamia added.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko noted that Kiev counted on "continued bipartisan support" from the US for its role in the conflict.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., responds to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Dec. 3, 2021. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy told other GOP lawmakers shortly after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection that he would urge then-President Donald Trump to resign, according to an audio recording posted Thursday night, April 21, 2022 by The New York Times. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
© AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite
The US will hold its midterm elections in November, following which a new composition of the House of Representatives and a third of the Senate will be formed. Presidential elections are scheduled for 2024.
Last week, Washington announced another $725 million in military assistance package for Ukraine that includes more ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and additional 155mm artillery rounds. On October 12, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley said that Washington would provide Ukraine with an integrated air missile defense system to cover the country's most important facilities, calling on the allies to chip in.
Since Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24, Western countries have been providing Kiev with military and financial aid. Moscow has denounced the flow of weapons to Ukraine from its Western allies, saying it adds fuel to the fire, and warning that any arms shipments on Ukrainian territory would be "legitimate targets" for the Russian forces.
