US Congress May Struggle to Pass Future Ukraine Aid Bills if Dems Lose Control - Lawmaker

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US Congress may have a difficult time passing future assistance packages for Ukraine if Democrats lose control in the upcoming midterm elections in November, House Intelligence and Special Operations Subcommittee Chairman Ruben Gallego said during remarks at the Aspen Security Forum.

"I would have a concern that the Democrats... lose control of the House and the Senate. It may be hard to pass future supplemental support for Ukraine," Gallego said on Wednesday.

Congress passed a $40 billion assistance package for Ukraine in May that provides Ukraine with over $20 billion in military aid, almost $9 billion in economic assistance, over $4 billion in humanitarian aid, and another $4 billion in foreign military financing through the State Department.

On February 24, Russia began the military operation in Ukraine responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. The US and its allies responded by imposing comprehensive sanctions against Russia while also ramping up their military support for Ukraine.

Moscow has repeatedly denounced the continuous flow of weapons to Ukraine from its Western allies, saying that it adds fuel to the fire and derails the negotiation process. In April, Russia sent a note to NATO member states, condemning their military assistance to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that "any weapon, any arms shipment on the Ukrainian territory" would be "a legitimate target."