Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will face a critical audience when he addresses a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday as House Republicans could block billions of dollars in military aid starting next month, Reuters reported.

President Joe Biden’s administration has sent almost $50 billion in foreign aid to Ukraine since Russia began invading its neighbor in February, including humanitarian, financial and military support.

Congress, now controlled by Biden’s Democrats, is expected to approve another $44.9 billion in a bill to fund the federal government this week.

That funding stream could slow starting Jan. 3, when Republicans will have a slim majority in the House of Representatives.

Some hard-line members of the parliamentary group have called for an end to aid that has helped Ukraine fight Russian forces, calling instead for an audit to track how previously allocated money was spent.

All 57 votes in the House of Representatives against the bill, which provided more than $40 billion for Ukraine in May, came from Republicans.

“No more forms for Ukraine,” Republican Party member Andy Biggs wrote on Twitter a few hours before Zelensky’s visit to Washington.

Biggs is positioning himself as the primary challenger to House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy in the January 3 House Speaker race.

Another hardline House Republican, Paul Gosar, expressed a similar view on Twitter, while conservative Republican Senator Josh Hawley told Reuters he believed funding for Ukraine’s defense was Europe’s responsibility, not the United States’.

“When it comes to the conventional defense of Europe, they have to take the lead,” Hawley said.

Division between parties

The first weeks of 2023 could be characterized by a battle for leadership in the House of Representatives, during which legislation could stall.

And even when the Republican-led House agrees on its leader, deep divisions between it and Biden and the Democratic-led Senate could make it difficult for lawmakers to agree on new initiatives.

While they are unlikely to cut aid entirely, Republicans could slow or cut aid, or use it as leverage to extract concessions from Democrats on Republican priorities such as reducing immigration at the southern border with Mexico.

In October, McCarthy said that Ukraine would no longer receive a “blank check” from the United States.

Financing Ukraine contrasts the Republican Party’s historic priorities: strong defense and opposition to Russia against a desire to limit government spending. Adding to this complexity is the affiliation of many members of the party to former President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy.

Some of his allies in Congress considered the Ukrainian government corrupt after Trump’s first impeachment trial.

In 2019, House Democrats voted to impeach Trump over allegations that he withheld military aid to Ukraine to pressure Zelensky to investigate one of Biden’s sons.

The problem could arise again when Trump tries to win the Republican nomination for president in 2024.

Many Republicans in the House of Representatives insist on supporting Ukraine

Congressman Michael McCaul, who is slated to become the next chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Reuters in a November interview that the party wants more “oversight and accountability” but also wants to help Ukraine and “avoid global conflict.” .

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer acknowledged the concern in a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday.

“I hope that all Republicans in the House of Representatives will attend Zelensky’s speech today. And when they do, they should listen to President Zelensky describe the horror his people have endured at the hands of (Russian President) Vladimir Putin,” Schumer said.

“Now is not the time, not the time to take the foot off the pedal when it comes to helping Ukraine,” he added.