2023-09-21 19:43:01
Away from the battlefield, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, he dived this Thursday to Washington in a delicate and complicated mission fundamental to the future of the war that Russia launched in his country in February of last year. On his second trip to the capital of the United States since the conflict began after a visit in December, Zelenski has again secured the support of the president, Joe Bidenwhich receives him for the third time at the White House and which he announced another military aid package to Kyiv, which will come from funds already appropriated by Congress and from the American arsenal. According to Jake Sullivan, National Security Adviser, the package includes “significant air defense capabilities», something Zelenski had marked as a priority for this trip.
Despite this accomplished goal, the Ukrainian leader has also already verified firsthand that this Democrat’s unbreakable support is not widespread in the country i erodesespecially between Republican politicians and voters.
After participating for two days in the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York, Zelenski landed in Washington after a night of massive missile attack by russia in five Ukrainian cities that have affected civil infrastructure. The visit started with meetings on Capitol Hill. And the first, with the leaders of the lower House, Republican Kevin McCarthy and Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, evidenced the deterioration of his cause there.
McCarthy – his party has control of the House of Representatives – this time he had rejected Zelensky’s request to make a speech before congressmen and senators, a thing that Yes, he was able to do it during the December visit at the invitation of Nancy Pelosi. He only organized a meeting with several representatives for this Thursday. And although, in private, according to some present at the meeting, he has been more willing to attend to Zelenski’s needs, asking him what do you need to win war, in public he continues to put asterisks to continue approving aid packages.
double sided
“Where are the explanations about the money we have already spent? ?What is the plan for victory? This is what Americans want to know”, McCarthy said a couple of days ago, tuned to polls that show the rejected by more than 60% of Republican voters to continue sending aid to Ukraine and that he has also suggested that Biden should be responsible for ensuring the southern border of the USA before continuing to invest in Kyiv.
McCarthy’s duplicity is partly explained by his own weak position as ‘speaker’, given the power he had to grant to reach the position in the most radical wing of the formation. This weakness is palpable in the threat of another potential operational shutdown of the government by failing to get votes to pass a spending proposal. And with respect to Ukraine, it was ratified this same Thursday, when 23 congressmen and six senators from their party they sent one letter to the White House criticizing Biden’s vagueness about the strategy for Ukraine and aid that already exceeds 100 billion dollars. To shed light on projects in his McCarthy Chamber he cannot afford to lose more than four votes.
For Zelensky it has been the warmer the reception in the Senate, controlled by Democrats and where Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell strongly supports the White House’s strategy of continuing to support Ukraine. One has been organized in the Upper House closed door meeting with the 100 senators. And there he has appealed to them to continue giving ammunition and financial support: “If we don’t get help we will lose the war”, has said
Zelenski then held a meeting at pentagon with the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, and has visited the memorial to the 9/11 attacks there before going to the meeting with Biden at the White House.
Lula i Wall Street
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It is the end of a diplomatic tour that also served him in New York, in addition to go to the General Assembly i participate in a meeting of the Security Councilto maintain the first meeting in person with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The Brazilian president is one of the leaders of the global south who have refused to take part in the conflict and although the relations between the two have been tense until this Wednesday, the meeting served for “break the ice”. “Both now understand each other’s position much better,” explained Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba, who described the conversation as “warm and honest,” after which Zelenski and Lula promised to keep in touch.
Zelenski, whose words during the speech before the General Assembly have intensified the open crisis with Poland for the veto on food imports from Ukraine, he also took advantage of the stay in New York to maintain meetings with Wall Street leaders and explore the use of private sector funds for reconstruction of Ukraine
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