US will not walk away from Ukraine: Joe Biden after spending bill avoids new aid to Kyiv

WASHINGTON: Hours after the short-term spending bill was passed to avoid a government shutdown, US President Joe Biden on Sunday assured that Washington will “not walk away” from supporting Ukraine, CNN reported.

This comes after the spending bill didn’t include new aid for Ukraine. Biden also called on the Republicans to keep their word about support for Ukraine.

"There's no Ukraine funding in this agreement…Despite that, I did not believe we could let millions of Americans go through the pain of a government shutdown,” Biden said in his address after signing the bill.

"I want to assure our American allies and the American people and the people of Ukraine that you can count on our support. We will not walk away," CNN quoted Biden as saying. The president further said that he would hold Republicans “accountable to their previous signals” of support for Ukraine.

"But let's be clear. I hope my friends on the other side keep their word about support for Ukraine. They said they were going to support Ukraine in a separate vote," CNN quoted the president as saying.

"We cannot, under any circumstances, allow American support for Ukraine to be interrupted," he added.

Biden said that he fully expects House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to "keep his commitment to secure the passage and support needed to help Ukraine as they defend themselves against aggression and brutality”.

He added that there is broad bipartisan support for Ukraine's war effort. "Let's vote on it," he said. Biden also chastised Republicans and the pattern of "governing by crisis" during remarks from the White House on Sunday.

"Folks, the truth is we shouldn't be here in the first place. We shouldn't have gotten here in the first place. It's time to end governing by crisis and keep your word when you give it in the Congress," CNN quoted him as saying.

However, the President refrained from weighing in on whether Democrats should help McCarthy keep the speakership, as conservatives attempt to oust him over his handling of the shutdown negotiations.

“I don't have a vote on that matter. I'll leave that to the leadership in the House,” Biden added.

Notably, the original drafts of a spending bill to avert the shutdown included aid for Ukraine, but the funds were ultimately removed over concerns the measure could not pass over the objections of some conservatives, CNN reported.

Bipartisan members of Senate leadership released a joint statement on Saturday committing to vote on further funding for Ukraine aid "in the coming weeks." Congress will need to negotiate another funding bill by mid-November, CNN reported.