Zelenskiy cancels address to US Senators before vote on Ukraine
- 5 December, 04:59
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy cancelled plans on Tuesday to address US Senators as negotiations on $61 billion in new weaponry stalled.
Announcing Zelenkiy’s decision, the Senate’s Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said “something happened at the last minute”.
Zelenskiy was scheduled to virtually address the classified briefing for all senators at 3pm.
Schumer said earlier in the day that the Senate would hold a vote on legislation to approve more military aid to Ukraine, but the package is opposed by Republicans who are demanding stricter immigration policies.
The Ukrainian leader also refused to attend a briefing to House lawmakers that he was scheduled to address virtually. Zelenskiy’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak as well as Ukraine’s defense minister and the speaker of parliament were on Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers.
Zelensky warned senators at a closed-door meeting in the Old Senate Chamber in September that Ukraine would lose its war with Russia without more aid from the United States.
The final details of the package are still being worked out. It’s being held up by a disagreement between the two parties about adding immigration and asylum policy reforms to reduce the flow of migrants across the U.S.-Mexico border.
