U.S. president urges Congress to act swiftly on funding package
President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, was “banking on” the U.S. failing to deliver aid to Ukraine, as he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House. Biden expressed his frustration with the Republican-controlled House, which has stalled the passage of a $106 billion supplemental funding bill that would provide assistance to Ukraine, Israel and allies in the Indo-Pacific while also strengthening border security.
Biden warned that without the aid, Ukraine would be vulnerable to a Russian invasion that could trigger a wider conflict and endanger U.S. and NATO interests.
Biden said he had spoken to House Speaker Mike Johnson and urged him to “get this done” before the end of the year. He said he was confident that the Senate, where Democrats have a slim majority, would approve the bill. He also said he had discussed with Zelensky the need for Ukraine to implement reforms and fight corruption to strengthen its democracy and economy. “We stand with you,” Biden told Zelensky. “We’re not going to walk away.”
Zelensky thanked Biden for his support and said he hoped that the U.S. would provide more weapons and equipment to Ukraine, as well as diplomatic pressure on Russia to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He said he was optimistic that the U.S. would not let Ukraine down. “We are very grateful for your leadership, for your strong position,” Zelensky said. “We feel that we are not alone.”
White House warns of imminent threat from Russia
The meeting between Biden and Zelensky came amid growing tensions between Ukraine and Russia, which has amassed more than 100,000 troops near the border and conducted military exercises in the region. The U.S. and its allies have accused Russia of preparing for a possible invasion of Ukraine, which has been fighting a war against Russian-backed separatists in its eastern Donbas region since 2014. Russia denies any aggressive intentions and claims it is responding to NATO’s expansion and provocations.
The White House has said that it is monitoring the situation closely and has shared intelligence with Ukraine and other partners. It has also imposed sanctions on Russia and warned of more severe consequences if it escalates the conflict. Shalanda Young, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, wrote in a letter to Congress on Monday that the U.S. was “out of money” and “nearly out of time” to provide more aid to Ukraine.
She said that the defense department had already used 97% of the $62.3 billion it received, while the state department had none of its $4.7 billion remaining. She said that the U.S. needed to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine and to replenish its own military stocks. “This isn’t a next-year problem. The time to help a democratic Ukraine fight against Russian aggression is right now,” Young said.
House Republicans demand border security in exchange for Ukraine aid
The supplemental funding bill that the White House requested in October has faced opposition from House Republicans, who have demanded stricter immigration policies in exchange for approving the aid to Ukraine and Israel. They have also questioned the Biden administration’s strategy and accountability for the aid, as well as the urgency of the situation. House Speaker Johnson said last week that he was “confident and optimistic” that Congress could pass the aid, but he insisted that it should be considered in a separate measure from the aid to Israel. He also said that Congress must address the “humanitarian and national security crisis” at the U.S.-Mexico border, where more than 1.7 million migrants have been apprehended this year.
Democrats have rejected the Republicans’ proposals as unacceptable and irrelevant to the issue of Ukraine aid. They have accused the Republicans of playing politics with national security and endangering the lives of millions of Ukrainians. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday that he was ready to pass the bill as soon as the House sends it to the Senate. He said that the U.S. had a moral and strategic obligation to support Ukraine and deter Russia. “We cannot allow Putin to think he can get away with invading another country,” Schumer said. “We cannot allow him to redraw the map of Europe by force.”
