U.S. taxpayers will pay the salaries of thousands of Ukrainians, even as the country faces a government shutdown at the end of September.

The U.S. has delivered four rounds of funding, totaling $113 billion, for Ukraine since Russia’s invasion. President Joe Biden announced a new $325 million aid package for Ukraine during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the White House last week, and promised to help the country for “as long as it takes” to oust Russia.

An additional $24 billion in security and humanitarian aid that Biden is seeking for Ukraine hangs in the balance, amid a mounting Republican divide over further aid to Ukraine, with some House Republicans wanting to cut off financial support to the country entirely.

A federal government shut down will effectively begin on October 1 if Congress isn’t able to pass a funding plan that Biden signs into law. If that happens, federal agencies have to stop all nonessential work and will not send paychecks for as long as the shutdown lasts.

While employees deemed essential still have to report to work, other federal employees will be furloughed—although they will receive backpay once the funding issues are resolved.

That would create a situation where U.S. federal employees will be waiting on paychecks, while U.S. taxpayer money will be paying the salaries of Ukrainians.

Read more at Newsweek.com

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