(Washington) US President Joe Biden invited his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to come to Washington on Tuesday to discuss “Ukraine’s urgent needs”, the White House spokesperson said on Sunday as Congress blocked a new aid package.
“The two leaders will discuss Ukraine’s urgent needs and the vital importance of continued U.S. support at this critical moment,” as “Russia escalates its missile and drone attacks against Ukraine,” declared Karine Jean-Pierre in a press release.
Ukrainian President Zelensky will arrive in the United States on Monday to discuss “Ukrainian-U.S. defense cooperation” with President Biden, specifically “production of weapons and defense systems.” anti-aircraft,” Kyiv said in a statement on Sunday.
Following Biden’s invitation, a parliamentary source said that the new Republican leader of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson, whose party is blocking aid to Ukraine by demanding significant concessions on the migration policy of the United States, will also meet with the Ukrainian president in a meeting on Tuesday.
PHOTO LEAH MILLIS, REUTERS ARCHIVES
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Republican Mike Johnson.
To prevent Washington from sounding the death knell for its aid, Republican leader Mitch McConnell and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also invited Zelensky to meet them on Tuesday, a parliamentary source said.
The United States is the country providing the most military support to Kyiv, with Congress having committed more than $110 billion since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
But Joe Biden’s promise to continue to support Ukraine financially is jeopardized by Congress. Last week, he blocked a large envelope of more than $106 billion insisted on by President Biden, including funds for Ukraine and Israel.
Alarm bell
“Congress should do what it has already done several times in a cross-partisan manner: fund our own national security and ensure that we are there for our allies,” thundered White House Budget Director Shalanda Young on Sunday. , warning that the United States will run out of money for Ukraine if Congress does not approve the package.
What will happen if Putin conquers Ukraine? NATO countries, our sons and daughters, risk being drawn into an even larger conflict. And it’s not just Putin, other dictators are watching what Congress does.
Shalanda Young, White House Budget Director
Blocking new funds would be “the greatest gift” offered to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden had already warned, affirming that the master of the Kremlin, if he managed to seize Ukraine, “would not will stop[it] not here “.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also sounded the alarm, declaring on Sunday that the United States “already lacks the resources to help” Ukraine.
But some Republicans, like Senator James Vance, close to Donald Trump, refuse to “sign a blank check” to Ukraine. “What is $61 billion going to accomplish that $100 billion didn’t accomplish?” », protested the far-right elected official on Sunday.
Second visit in three months
In exchange for their votes, Republican elected officials in Congress are demanding significant concessions on United States migration policy. A disaster scenario is thus emerging for Kyiv, whose counter-offensive in the summer did not bring the hoped-for territorial gains.
Anticipating the risk of weariness of the great American ally, President Zelensky went to Washington in person in September, meeting Joe Biden but also elected representatives of Congress with whom he had long discussions.
But his visit did not have the desired effect: mired in a series of internal crises which led to the dismissal of the previous speaker, Congress ultimately did not approve new funds for its offensive.