This Tuesday, December 5, the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, is expected to address the United States Congress for the approval of budgets that include economic aid for kyiv. The narrow Republican majority in the House of Representatives opposes its approval, unless Joe Biden’s Executive strengthens security on the US border. kyiv has already warned that, without international help, losing the war against Russia is a real possibility.
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The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has a crucial mission this Tuesday: convince the United States Congress to continue financing the country in the midst of war with Russia. To this end, the Ukrainian leader and top advisers to US President Joe Biden – who advocates expanding funding – will explain to US representatives on Tuesday why a new injection of military assistance is needed to help Ukraine repel the terrorists. Russian invaders.
And the issue of financing Ukraine is becoming sensitive in the US Congress. In October, Democrat Biden asked Congress to approve almost $106 billion for financing not only the war in Ukraine , but also that of Israel with Hamas and security on the United States border. But Republicans, who control the lower house with a narrow majority, did not give their approval.
Therefore, as a last resort in an attempt at persuasion, the Democrats made an announcement on Monday night: Volodymyr Zelensky himself will address congressmen via video to explain the importance of financing for Ukrainians.
Tonight, I’m announcing that the Biden admin invited Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to address Senators via secure video as part of our classified briefing tomorrow, so we can hear directly from him precisely what’s at stake in the vote on the national security supplemental bill.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) December 5, 2023
“Tonight, I announce that the Biden administration has invited Ukrainian President Zelensky to address senators via video as part of our classified briefing tomorrow, so that we can hear directly from him exactly what is at stake in the vote on the supplemental national security bill,” noted Chuck Schumer, Senate Majority Leader, via X.
But Republicans have already made it clear that they plan to set conditions. In a letter sent to the White House this Tuesday, the Republican president of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, assures that he will not give the green light to more military aid to Ukraine, unless the Biden Executive agrees to strengthen border security.
Despite not making a direct allusion, Johnson and his party refer to the ‘Secure the Border Act’ law, which implies the relaunching of the construction of a wall on the border with Mexico proposed for the first time by Donald Trump, and limiting the asylum seekers’ ability to remain in the United States.
My response to the White House on their lack of a clearly defined strategy and end game for prevailing in Ukraine and the need for transformative change to our nation’s border security laws: pic.twitter.com/JZZhIp7K4v
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) December 5, 2023
“The United States’ open border is an unconscionable and unsustainable catastrophe, and we have a moral responsibility to insist that this madness stop immediately (…) Instead of engaging in dialogue with Republican congressmen to debate logical reforms, the Biden Administration “has ignored reality and has chosen to adopt political positions. We are prepared and willing to work with the Administration on a strong border security package that protects the interests of the American people,” Johnson says in the letter.
Two opposing positions that, for the moment, leave aid to Ukraine up in the air.
More civilians killed on the ground in Ukraine
While they decide in Washington, the situation on the ground is delicate. Russian forces attacked the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine on Tuesday, killing at least three people and wounding at least 11, according to Ukrainian officials.
During the morning, a Russian bombing in Kherson killed two people and wounded two others, according to Roman Mrochko, head of the city’s military administration.
And, although the Ukrainians have been trying to launch a counteroffensive for months, at the moment their plans are not bearing fruit. Senior officials have already warned that without help from powers like the European Union or the US, the situation is expected to get even worse.
Ukrainian Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak said Tuesday that the US Congress’s postponement of US aid to Kiev would create a “great risk” that Ukraine will lose the war with Russia.
“There is a great risk that we could be in the same situation we are in now and it poses a great risk of losing this war,” Yermak warned.
If the budgets are not approved, the US would stop providing economic aid to Ukraine at the beginning of 2024.
With Reuters and local media
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