Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleaded with Washington leaders on Tuesday to release military funding for his ongoing war against Russia. Unfortunately, the President was dismissed by key GOP officials since the lawmakers are firm in their decision that there should be “border changes” before the aid on Ukraine will be passed.
US senators welcomed Zelenskyy at the Capitol while discussing his concerns with House Speaker Mike Johnson in private.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer countered Zelensky’s message that if their “aid is approved, they will win the war.” Schumer said, “the contrary is also true — without more aid Putin will win.”
Republican members of the House were unmoved and upheld their statement that Democrats should make policy reforms at the southern border.
Speaker Johnson also said that he demands Biden to account for the previous billions released under his name.
“What the Biden administration seems to be asking for is billions of additional dollars with no appropriate oversight, no clear strategy to win and none of the answers that I think the American people are owed,” he said. “I have also made very clear from Day 1 that our first condition on any national security supplemental spending package is about our own national security.”
“We need a clear articulation of the strategy to allow Ukraine to win, and thus far their responses have been insufficient and have not provided us the clarity and the detail that we requested,” Johnson added, which probably means that the resolution on the border policy does not mean approval of Ukraine’s military assistance.
Biden, on the other hand, encouraged the Kyiv leader and said not to lose “hope.”
Unfortunately for Zelenskyy, the impasse in Congress is entirely out of his control.
“Congress needs to pass supplemental funding for Ukraine before they break for the holiday recess, before they give Putin the greatest Christmas gift they could possibly give him,” Biden said as a fire roared behind him in the fireplace.
The lawmaker added that the House Republicans had already passed a bill on immigration policy and the ball is now on the Senate and the White House.
Last week, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had threatened Congress to approve the aid or else “your uncles, cousins and sons will be sent to fight Russia.”
White House official John Kirby had earlier declared that “American blood” will be the cost of supporting the Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy if no money is sent to Kyiv.
If they want the money, then they will fix the border, it’s that simple.