Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will travel to Washington on Tuesday to meet with President Joe Biden and plead his case to Republicans who are blocking more money for his fight against Russia, amid warnings that aid will run out within weeks.
In a flurry of diplomatic activity after the White House announced Zelensky’s visit, an aide to Mike Johnson said the new Republican speaker of the House of Representatives – who is trying to tie aid to Ukraine to funding for US border security – would also meet with the Ukrainian leader on Tuesday.
And a Senate official said Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell also invited Zelensky to speak at a meeting of all senators on Tuesday morning – a week after several Republicans angrily walked out of a classified briefing on Ukraine that was supposed to to address via video.
Biden and Zelensky will “discuss the urgent needs of Ukraine” as it fights the Russian invasion and “the vital importance of continued support from the United States at this critical time,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
The Ukrainian presidency said the meeting would focus on key issues such as “joint projects for the production of weapons and air defense systems, as well as coordination of the efforts of our countries in the coming year.”
Republican senators last week blocked $106 billion in emergency aid primarily to Ukraine and Israel after conservatives objected to excluding immigration reforms they demanded as part of the package.
It was a setback for Biden, who urged lawmakers to approve the funds, warning that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not stop with victory in Ukraine and may even attack a NATO member.
