Zelenskiy visits Washington amid uncertainty over Ukraine aid package
- 12 December, 06:47
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Washington on Tuesday to push for more military aid to Ukraine as Russian invasion continues.
Zelenskiy met his US counterpart Joe Biden who gave his assurances that "we are going to stand at your side". Speaking at the Oval Office at the White House, Biden said that it would be a "Christmas gift" to Russia's Vladimir Putin if Congress fails to pass fresh military aid for Kyiv.
Before meeting Joe Biden, Zelenskiy spoke with lawmakers on Capitol Hill amid stalemate over discussions on military aid to his country as Republicans remain reluctant to extend aid to Kyiv. Following the meeting with Zelenskiy, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson reiterated his party’s stance that they would refuse to support military aid to Ukraine unless more measures were taken to secure the southern border of the United States. Johnson said the White House was asking for billions of dollars without a clear strategy for winning the war in Ukraine. Joe Biden has been urging US lawmakers to approve aid packages to Ukraine. Senate Republicans earlier blocked a procedural vote to advance a national security bill that includes $61bn for Ukraine.
