Tusk rages at Republicans for blocking aid to Ukraine

DONALD TUSK, the prime minister of Poland, has launched a scathing attack on the US senate after Republicans voted against a bill to provide a $60 billion (£48billion) aid package to Ukraine.

Addressing the Senate’s decision, Mr Tusk wrote on Twitter: “Dear Republican senators of America. Ronald Reagan, who helped millions of us to win back our freedom and independence, must be turning in his grave today. Shame on you.”

The bipartisan bill, which also included measures to tackle immigration at the US border and provide aid to Israel was defeated after Republican senators came under pressure to reject it from former president Donald Trump, who wants to attack Democrats over immigration.

Senators voted it down largely along party lines and Democrats were quick to attack Republicans.

Joe Biden was among the first to do so, saying at a fundraising event in New York he “never thought I’d see something like we are seeing now”. “[Republicans are] walking away because they’ve got Donald Trump calling and threatening them,” he said.

The total $118billion package would have provided extra resources for the US’S southern border. It would also have provided military aid for Israel and Ukraine, a cause the US president has found himself increasingly isolated on as the conflict has entered its third year.

Republicans had turned against the bill in the last few weeks because Mr Trump had made clear he did not want to give Mr Biden a “win” on the border in an election year.

Mike Johnson, the House speaker, said Republicans would not even consider the measure and that it was “dead on arrival”.

He said his party would now look to push standalone bills to fund Israel and the border.

Meanwhile, Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, urged the European Union and the US to step up efforts to supply aid to war-torn Ukraine yesterday, ahead of a visit to Washington for talks with Mr Biden, saying: “We must find a way to all do more together.”