2023-12-13 04:34:00
If he was hoping to leave with a Christmas envelope, it was a failure. In Washington, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded on Tuesday before elected representatives of Congress to obtain new aid in the amount of 61 billion dollars in order to support the war effort launched almost two years ago by Russia.
But despite “positive signals” and threats from Joe Biden, Republicans have turned a deaf ear, between those categorically opposed to putting their hands in their pockets, and those demanding major concessions from the White House on the migration crisis in the southern border. A blockage which will be “almost impossible” to resolve before the parliamentary Christmas recess which begins on Friday, warned the boss of the Republicans in the Senate, Mitch McConnell.
Zelensky “did not move the lines”, according to a Republican senator
This is the easier half of the equation. Some Republican senators, like Mitch McConnell, are in favor of continuing to support Ukraine. But the conservatives are in a position of strength: they can block discussions of a bill if they close ranks (because the 50 Democrats need 10 Republicans to overcome the obstruction). They are therefore seeking concessions from the White House on immigration and securing the border with Mexico.
Zelensky “did not move the lines”, reacted the influential Republican John Cornyn (Texas). Ohio Senator JD Vance, against new aid, “did not change” his mind after the meeting. “The White House needs to weigh in on the negotiations,” insisted Mitch McConnell.
In the House, the Speaker asks for “guarantees”
Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with the new Republican Speaker of the House. Mike Johnson spoke of a “good meeting” but asked for “guarantees” from the White House. “What the Biden administration seems to want is billions of additional dollars without adequate oversight, without any real strategy for victory.”
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Unless there is a Christmas miracle, the negotiations should not be concluded by Friday. They should continue in January but risk colliding with the negotiations on the budget. The budget extension passed at the last minute after the election of Mike Johnson expires in two stages, on January 17 and February 2. Each side will then be able to use the threat of a shutdown, a paralysis of the federal state with high political costs but difficult to predict, to try to win the standoff.
200 million dollars released
Joe Biden issued a grim warning in the presence of Volodymyr Zelensky, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin was “counting” on US aid to Ukraine stopping. “We must, we must prove to him that he is wrong,” insisted the American president during a joint press conference in Washington with his Ukrainian counterpart.
“History will harshly judge those who turned their backs on the cause of freedom,” said the 81-year-old democrat, architect of Western support for Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
Joe Biden released $200 million on Tuesday, but it is a drop in the bucket compared to the $111 billion already sent to Ukraine, and the additional $60 billion requested. Volodymyr Zelensky notably called for weapons for better anti-aircraft defense. His final plea: “It is very important to send a very strong signal of unity to the aggressor before the end of the year.”
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