The US Congress is set to depart next week for the holidays, making the approval of the supplemental aid package for Ukraine before January 2024 increasingly unlikely.
Despite Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s engagements at the White House and Capitol Hill on Tuesday, there is disappointment as his efforts failed to sway Republicans to act before the year’s end.
Zelensky made the rounds of power in Washington on Tuesday in a last-ditch plea for more military funding but left empty handed as Congress remained divided on a new $60 billion aid package.
The Ukrainian President however arrived in Oslo Wednesday to meet with leaders of the five Nordic nations, key backers in Kyiv’s fight against Russia’s invasion.
With the counteroffensive launched by Ukraine in July failing to yield the anticipated results, Zelensky is trying to rebuild support among Ukraine’s allies amid growing dissent.
Back in the U.S., with an election year looming, Republicans remain firmly entrenched in their “America first” project. The US border takes centre stage, echoing the 2016 narrative, and the impending Trump vs. Biden showdown appears to be Trump vs. Clinton on steroids.
“In Ukraine, we are also fighting for your freedom,” Zelenskyy stated at the press conference with Biden.
Yet, on his third trip to Washington since the war began, President of Ukraine must be aware of the political challenge the Biden administration is facing in convincing Republicans in an election year to prioritize foreign policy over domestic issues.
“We stand at a real inflection point in history,” Biden declared in the Oval Office during the one-on-one meeting with Zelenskyy.
“Congress needs to pass the supplemental funds,” Biden emphasized, stressing the urgency of providing additional aid to Ukraine.
Biden also issued a warning, asserting that Russian President Vladimir Putin is plotting to target Ukraine’s electrical grid this winter. “We mustn’t let him succeed,” he firmly stated.
Earlier today, Senator Schumer attempted to inject some optimism into the outlook for the passage of the supplemental aid package crucial for Ukraine.
“We’re still trying. We are trying very, very hard to get this done,” Schumer told reporters.
Mitch McConnell painted a bleak picture regarding the funding timeline. “I think the speaker has said to a number of people, and he can speak for himself, but he’s apparently said to a number of people they’re leaving at the end of the week,” McConnell said.
“So, all I’ve said is it’s practically impossible, even though we reach an agreement, to craft it, get it through the Senate and get it to the House before Christmas.”
During the White House press conference, when questioned about the possibility of Ukraine ceding territory to Russia, Zelenskyy, speaking in Ukrainian, dismissed the idea as “insane, to be honest,” as conveyed by the interpreter.
In response to inquiries about the U.S. strategy for Ukraine, Biden asserted, “We want to see Ukraine win the war.”
Addressing the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO, the President stated, “NATO will be in Ukraine’s future, no question about that,” while emphasizing that, for the time being, the immediate focus is on Ukraine prevailing in its conflict with Russia.