President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine will journey to Washington on Tuesday for a last-ditch lobbying effort with President Biden and members of Congress aimed toward securing billions of {dollars} of U.S. assist, officers stated on Sunday.
Karine Jean-Pierre, the White Home press secretary, stated Mr. Zelensky would meet with Mr. Biden on the White Home to “underscore america’ unshakable dedication” to the embattled nation because it resists Russia’s invasion.
“As Russia ramps up its missile and drone strikes in opposition to Ukraine, the leaders will focus on Ukraine’s pressing wants and the important significance of america’ continued help at this essential second,” Ms. Jean-Pierre stated.
Final week, Republicans blocked a $110.5 billion emergency spending bill that features funding for Ukraine’s battle effort, placing doubtful whether or not america would proceed serving to arm the nation in its combat in opposition to Russia.
They’ve argued that any measure to fund Ukraine’s battle effort have to be coupled with modifications to U.S. asylum legal guidelines and detention insurance policies, which weren’t included within the invoice.
Mr. Biden and his aides have warned that refusing to help Ukraine within the coming months may pave the best way for a victory by President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. Mr. Zelensky’s chief of employees additionally stated final week that Ukraine may lose the battle if america delayed the help.
Republicans have responded by saying that Mr. Biden and Mr. Zelensky haven’t supplied a transparent plan for successful the battle, which has stalled after dragging on for greater than a 12 months and a half.
Mr. Zelensky may have a chance to face a number of the lawmakers instantly on Tuesday morning throughout a closed-door session with senators, in accordance with a senior Democratic aide. The assembly was organized by Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the bulk chief, and Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican chief.
The Ukrainian chief was scheduled to handle an identical session of lawmakers remotely final week, however he canceled at the last minute. The assembly devolved right into a shouting match between Democratic and Republican senators in regards to the G.O.P.’s border calls for.
Mr. Zelensky last visited Washington in September and held an identical assembly on the Capitol with senators that was broadly attended. However he was by no means invited to handle members of the Home, the place most Republicans have since voted in opposition to persevering with to help the battle. Simply days after Mr. Zelensky’s go to, Congress determined in opposition to including emergency battle help for Ukraine in a invoice to fund the federal government, which put that assist in limbo for the primary time since Russia invaded in early 2022.
Throughout his September go to, Mr. Zelensky met with Consultant Kevin McCarthy, Republican of California after which the speaker; Consultant Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat of New York and the minority chief; and a bunch of senior lawmakers from the nationwide safety and appropriations committees. Mr. McCarthy was ousted from the speakership lower than two weeks later.
The brand new speaker, Mike Johnson, is predicted to satisfy with Mr. Zelensky alone this week, in accordance with Raj Shah, a spokesman for Mr. Johnson.
Mr. Zelensky’s workplace stated in a press release on Sunday that he would “give attention to securing unity among the many U.S., Europe and the remainder of the world in supporting Ukraine’s protection in opposition to Russian aggression, in addition to strengthening the worldwide order primarily based on guidelines and respect for the sovereignty of countries.”
There may be nonetheless a major hole to shut in Congress. Senator Christopher S. Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, who’s main the negotiations for his occasion, stated on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that the G.O.P.’s newest calls for had been “unreasonable.”
“If I had been a cynic, I might say that Republicans have determined to tie help for Ukraine to immigration reform as a result of they need Ukraine assist to fail,” he added.
However Senator James Lankford, Republican of Oklahoma, who’s main negotiations for his occasion, rejected such fees, arguing on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that Congress needed to sort out each issues.
“What you hear from so many individuals is, why would we take care of different individuals’s safety and ignore American nationwide safety?” Mr. Lankford stated, including later, “We are able to do two issues directly.”