By Lisa Mascaro and Stephen Groves | Associated Press
WASHINGTON — His country’s future at stake, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told senators Tuesday that with U.S. aid his fighters can beat back the Russian invasion. But with funding in doubt, his grim trip to Capitol Hill was far from the hero’s welcome he received last winter.
Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington came as President Joe Biden’s request for an additional $110 billion U.S. aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other national security needs is at serious risk of collapse in Congress. Republicans are insisting on linking it to strict U.S.-Mexico border security changes that Democrats decry.
Flanked by Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Zelenskyy entered a private meeting with senators with a public bipartisan show of support and to some applause. But more than an hour later few senators minds appeared changed.
Schumer called it a “very powerful” meeting, but gave no update on stalled negotiations.
“It is maddening,” said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., a close ally of Biden, ahead of the session. “A very bad message to the world, to the Ukrainian people.”
The White House said the time was right for Zelenskyy’s trip to Washington as Biden pushes lawmakers approve the aid package before the year-end holidays. A top spokesman said the U.S. can’t let Ukraine aid lapse, especially as the Israel-Hamas war has taken attention, and that the president was willing to make compromises with Republicans.
“This additional funding will absolutely help Ukraine claw back even more of their territory and kick the Russians right out of Ukraine,” said the White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on NBC.
However, prospects for a congressional deal on Ukraine funding seemed all but out of reach.
Zelenskyy impressed on the senators that Ukraine could win the war against Russia, telling them he was drafting men in…
Read the full article here
