Ukraine FM Kuleba: I Do Not Expect "Slowdown Or Decrease" In Support

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has told reporters, at a press conference in Kyiv, that he does, "not anticipate any slowdown or any decrease neither in attention nor support that is coming," despite growing concerns over the future of aid from both the US and the EU.

• Kuleba: "Our partners understand that what is at stake in Ukraine is much bigger than just the future of Ukraine... No one will ever put us at the table with Russia until we ourselves decide that this is the way forward."
• Kuleba's comments come Democrats in Washington struggle to overcome Republican opposition to President Biden's USD$106b national security bill, which includes around USD$60 billion for Ukraine.
• Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said on the Senate floor a short time ago: "If funding for Ukraine fails, the failure will solely be on the Republican Party," and accused the GOP of "hostage-taking" by attaching aid to partisan demands to secure the US-Mexico border.
• Earlier today, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) issued a response to White House OMB Director Shalanda Young who wrote to Congressional leaders on Sunday warning that, "there is no magical pot of funding," for Ukraine and, "we are out of money—and nearly out of time.”
• Johnson said: "...supplemental Ukraine funding is dependent upon enactment of transformational change to our border security laws," and said the Biden Administration had failed to adequately define objectives in Ukraine and account for authorised funds.
• More analysis of the current state of Ukraine/border negotiations in today's MNI US Daily Brief.