Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Washington on Tuesday making an in-person plea for the military and economic aid he said is necessary to continue Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion.
Zelensky, visiting Washington for the third time since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022, is meeting with members of Congress Tuesday morning and President Joe Biden later in the afternoon. Zelensky’s meetings come on the same day the US declassified new intelligence on Russia’s losses so far in the war. The intelligence shows US officials believe the Russian military has continued to suffer heavy losses in the war – but is also determined to continue pushing forward.
The meeting comes as a deal for a supplemental funding package that includes crucial aid for the war-torn country remains logjammed by congressional Republicans who want the Biden administration to make concessions on border security and immigration policy in exchange for the aid package.
A deal remains unlikely with a holiday recess looming.
While Biden has said he is open to compromise, a bloc of Republicans remains weary at the idea of adding to the more than $100 billion in Ukraine aid already approved by Congress. Biden officials have said nobody is better at making the case for his country than Zelensky himself.
Zelensky told senators that he’s still counting on US support to come through for his nation, according to Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut.
The questions from senators were mostly about accountability for US aid and Zelensky tried to assure senators that no money would be used corruptly in Ukraine, according to GOP Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota.
Rounds said Zelensky did not give a price tag on how much US support will be needed in total for Ukraine. But he tried to impress upon senators that Ukraine needed more air…
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