Ukraine stresses strong US support after new aid is dropped from stop-gap budget bill

LONDON (AP) — Ukraine’s foreign ministry has stressed that U.S. support for Kyiv remains “unwaveringly strong” despite news that the stop-gap budget Congress passed to halt a federal government shutdown will not include new financial support. A spokesperson for Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said Sunday that a shutdown could impact ongoing aid programs but that the temporary budget would not affect the billions of dollars of financial assistance already pledged by lawmakers in Washington. The omission of additional Ukrainian aid from the short-term funding bill that aims to keep the federal government running until Nov. 17 has raised concerns in Kyiv. Ukraine relies heavily on Western support in its fight against Russia’s ongoing invasion.