WASHINGTON, May 22. /TASS/. House Foreign Affairs Chair Michael McCaul and Senate Foreign Relations ranking member Jim Risch accused the administration of US President Joe Biden of approving a $60 mln military aid package to Kenyan forces deploying to Haiti which could otherwise be used to support Ukraine, Politico said.

According to the two senior Republican lawmakers, the Biden administration went around lawmakers to fast-track weapons, including rifles, ammunition and armored vehicles, to Haiti to fight gang violence. "The administration is rushing to fund an undefined and indefinite engagement in Haiti without Congressional approval," they argue in a letter seen by Politico.

"Supporting the people of Haiti does not limit or take away from our ability to support the people of Ukraine," a State Department official told the newspaper. "Both are important priorities and in each case, we identify support tailored to the needs of our partners," he added.

The security and humanitarian situation in Haiti deteriorated following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021 and a devastating earthquake. On March 1, 2024, an agreement was signed to send a force of 1,000 Kenyan policemen to the island to help quell violence there.