Ukraine open to aid in form of loan being pushed by some Republicans

WASHINGTON — In a potential breakthrough for Ukraine, Kyiv has indicated that it is open to a proposal from some Republicans to receive U.S. foreign aid in the form of a loan.

Minister of Foreign Affairs for Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba did not shoot it down in a briefing with reporters on Tuesday. Ukraine receives a mixture of loans and grants already, he told USA TODAY.

"We are not shocked to hear the proposal coming from the United States. But the question is, of course, how about the overall structure of the assistance that will be provided," Kuleba said.

He added: "We haven't seen any details of this proposal, except the broad mentioning of loans instead of grants."

If pushed forward, the move would signal the most significant breakthrough in the months-long impasse between the White House and conservative Republicans over assistance to Ukraine. The country continues to struggle on the battlefield and defense hawks say U.S. assistance is vital to halting a Russian advance.

President Joe Biden is pushing Congress to pass an emergency national security bill that cleared in the Senate with bipartisan support and included $60 billion in assistance for Ukraine. But former President Donald Trump − the presumptive Republican nominee − opposes the legislation and has thwarted any momentum in the House.

Trump instead proposed turning aid into a no-interest waivable loan on the campaign trail last month, which gathered steam among some of his allies.

"It's called a loan. Give them the money, and if they can pay it back, they pay it back. If they can't pay it back, they don't have to pay it back, because they've got some problems," Trump said in South Carolina.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham has become the most vocal proponent of a loan. He said he personally floated the idea during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Monday.

“I informed him that given the crisis at the United States’ southern border and our overwhelming debt, President Trump’s idea of turning aid from the United States into a no-interest, waivable loan is the most likely path forward," Graham said in a statement. "This is not only true for aid for Ukraine, but for other countries across the board."

Sources told USA TODAY that the loan proposal is being shopped on Capitol Hill and to the White House.

While Ukraine backers do not favor this approach, they have indicated a willingness to consider a loan to get aid over the finish line.

Notably, White House national security spokesman John Kirby did not rule out the possibility of a loan on Tuesday.

"Our focus remains on getting the supplemental passed," Kirby told USA TODAY. "We believe that some thoughtfully considered amount of money for the kinds of capabilities that we know Ukraine needs."

He noted that the secretary of defense is currently in Germany, talking to U.S. allies and partners about continued "grant contributions to Ukraine and to their needs. And that's what we're focused on."

A source familiar with the conversations taking place in the House said one of the options currently under discussion is a standalone bill for Ukraine aid.

Legislation could include a loan to Ukraine for humanitarian assistance and government assistance such as employee salaries and pension payments. Military aid is also part of the proposal and would not come in the form of a loan.

Still, a spokesperson for Trump's campaign neither endorsed Graham's proposal nor said what the former president's involvement may be in shaping the potential deal.

"President Trump has repeatedly stated that a top priority in his second term will be to quickly negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. Also, President Trump believes European nations should be paying more of the cost of the conflict, as the U.S. has paid significantly more, which is not fair to our taxpayers," Steven Cheung, communications director for Trump's campaign said in a statement.

Negotiators just reached a deal to fund the U.S. government and the House is set to leave town at the end of this week until April.

That means that any Ukraine aid bill would not come up for a vote for at least three weeks.

It is not clear what kind of Democratic support the proposal would if it did.

Appearing on "Meet the Press," Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Ben Cardin, who represents Maryland, said Sunday: "If we try a different path, it's going to take a long time. Ukraine needs the help today."

Kuleba said Tuesday that his Kyiv is "shocked" that deliberations in Washington are taking so long.

"We want this debate in the United States to be over, in a good way, with a final decision...that will not allow the American leadership in the world to be shattered," Kuleba said.

Contributing: Congress Reporter Riley Beggin

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine open to foreign assistance loan pushed by some Republicans