What the US Congress says about approving aid for Ukraine and Israel.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner, a Republican, said aid to Ukraine and Israel will be difficult to approve before the end of the year as Congress remains divided over proposed changes to the security of the US-Mexico border.

However, Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson is “confident and optimistic” that Congress will approve additional funds for Israel and Ukraine before the holidays, subject to an agreement on border security changes that Republicans seek, Politico reports.

“I think that all this will happen in the coming days. We will be able to overcome this barrier,” he said.

Johnson said there was a “sense of urgency” in getting aid to Israel and Ukraine. The speaker said that aid to Israel is a “priority” for the US and called assistance to Ukraine “another priority.”

“We cannot allow Putin to march through Europe, and we understand the need for assistance,” he said.