Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova on Sunday stressed that the billions of dollars in U.S. support to Kyiv in its fight against Russia is being put to good use, as some Republican lawmakers have started to question the aid.
“Every U.S. dollar that is given to us, we’re putting it to a good use,” Markarova said on CBS’s “Face The Nation” with Margaret Brennan. “We’re using it as an investment into our joint fight for democracy.”
Congress passed a $1.7 trillion government funding package at the end of December that included around $45 billion for Ukraine and NATO allies. The package drew the ire of Republicans, some of whom have started to publicly call into question how much funding the U.S. has offered Ukraine.
A proposed House rules package that materialized as Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) negotiated with his detractors includes a possible drastic cut in defense spending. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said on “Fox News Sunday” with Shannon Bream that lawmakers should be eyeing the country’s spending on Ukraine as they consider curtailing spending.
“We got a $32 trillion debt, everything has to be on the table,” Jordan said. “When you’ve got numbers like that … frankly, we better look at the money we send to Ukraine as well.”
As Republicans have started to point the finger at U.S. funding, Markarova said that visits with the White House and congressional leaders during Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky’s trip to Washington were “very constructive and very productive.”
“I believe [the] American people support us and will support us until we together can win this,” Markarova added.
But when asked if Ukraine got assurances that American support would continue with Republicans in control of the House, Markarova did not directly respond.