Zelensky concludes his visit to the US without succeeding in unlocking a new aid package
Ukraine's President Volodimir Zelensky returns to Kiev without getting approval from the US Congress for a new $61 billion aid package. Despite Zelensky's pressure during meetings with Republican leaders, the latter reiterated that they would not agree to any new funds for Ukraine unless President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress give in to their demands and crack down harder on migration at the southern border.
Republicans link any new aid to Kiev to US internal security, especially the border with Mexico, an area that has been a migration hotspot across the continent for years.
The new Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, assured that he "stands with Zelensky and against Putin's brutal invasion" after his meeting with the Ukrainian president, although he qualified that "a clear articulation of strategy is needed to allow Ukraine to win".
The Republican has indicated that "the American people stand for freedom and are on the right side of this fight", although he also criticised the Biden Administration "for asking for billions of additional dollars without adequate oversight and without a clear strategy to win". In this sense, as Julian Barnes notes in The New York Times, Ukraine has been forced to convince that the aid is necessary and will not be wasted on another failed counter-offensive like the one last summer.
Despite this, Biden has urged Republicans to approve the fund as soon as possible as the Ukraine-Russia war stalls. "Without supplemental funding, we are rapidly reaching the end of our ability to help Ukraine respond to the urgent operational demands it has," said the US leader, who claims that "Putin is gambling that the United States will not deliver for Ukraine". "We have to prove him wrong," he added.
In the event that the fund is not approved, Biden stressed that "it would be a Christmas present for Vladimir Putin". However, according to Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, quoted by the US newspaper, approving an aid package for Ukraine before the end of the year has become "virtually impossible".
Washington has been Ukraine's most important ally since the Russian invasion began in February 2022. Since the beginning of the conflict, the US is estimated to have provided Kiev with more than $44 billion in security assistance.
Regarding this potential new assistance fund, the Kremlin has said that any new US aid is doomed to be a 'failure', as its army has made 'significant' gains on the frontline. Moscow is stepping up pressure in the east and south, although these 'victories' come at a high price. According to US intelligence services, 315,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine.
Zelensky, for his part, stressed that "it is very important" that by the end of this year "a very strong signal of our unity can be sent to the aggressor". "The unity of Ukraine, the United States, Europe? the whole free world", he stressed.
Zelensky is not going to Ukraine empty-handed, however. During his meeting with the Ukrainian leader, Biden announced $200 million in military aid, including anti-aircraft weapons and ammunition.