President Zelensky’s chief of staff has warned of a “big risk” that Ukraine could lose the war with Russia if US military aid is delayed.
Andriy Yermak, speaking in Washington, said if Congress failed to approve a deal for more aid, it would make it “impossible” to liberate territory captured by Russia.
He added it that it was “critically important” that Congress voted on a military package as soon as possible. Yermak was speaking shortly before Zelensky abruptly cancelled a video meeting with United States senators as Congress debated a White House plan for fresh funding to support Ukraine in its war with Russia.
It was not immediately clear why the Ukrainian president decided against taking part in what was a classified briefing for senators on new developments in the war. They are due to begin voting on a package of measures that includes more than $60 billion in funding for Kyiv.
Several members of Congress, particularly a number of Republicans in the House of Representatives, have balked at more US tax dollars being used to support Ukraine’s war effort.
“Zelensky, by the way, could not make it — something happened at the last minute — to our briefing,” said Chuck Schumer, the Democrat Senate majority leader.
The money has been gummed up for weeks, with the White House insisting on a single bill featuring a package of measures that includes funding for Israel, security at the border with Mexico, and Taiwan.
Several Republicans who support some aspects of the bill want to vote separately on each funding proposal and want immigration reforms at the southern border to be the priority. Some Senate Republicans are making their support for funding Ukraine conditional on extra steps being taken to reduce immigration across the southern border — reforms Democrats have already rejected.
“We can’t ever put a price on defending democracy in its hour of need. Because if Ukraine falls, Putin will keep on going,” Schumer said before Zelensky’s cancellation. “Autocrats around the world will be emboldened. Democracy, this grand and noble experiment, will enter an era of decline.”
Schumer plans to hold a vote today to clear the first procedural hurdle for the bill, which is worth a total of $106 billion. It needs 60 votes in the 100-member Senate but the 49-strong Republican minority appears likely to defeat the package as it leaves out their immigration reforms.
The Republican senator for Texas, John Cornyn, said in a speech on the Senate floor that the proposal had “zero chance of becoming law”. “Our security cannot come second to that of other countries around the world, our allies, even those like Ukraine and Israel,” he said.
Mike Johnson, the House Speaker, told fellow Republicans that sweeping changes to American border policy would be their “hill to die on” in negotiations over the bill. He delivered the message yesterday morning ahead of classified briefings arranged by the Biden administration to underscore how desperately aid is needed for Ukraine.
The debate in Congress comes as Lord Cameron makes his first visit to the US as foreign secretary. The former prime minister is likely to press for Congress to pass the support package for Ukraine.
