Ukrainian president makes direct appeal for more aid in Washington as delays continue on Capitol Hill
From CNN's Haley Britzky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Commander of Ukraine's Ground Forces Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, right, and Roman Mashovets, deputy head of the presidential office, look at a map during their visit to the front-line city of Kupiansk, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on November 30. Efrem Lukatsky/AP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a direct appeal for more security aid on Monday during a speech at the National Defense University in Washington, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin is seeing his “dreams come true” as delays continue in Congress.
“Every one of you here understand what it means for a soldier to wait for munition, waiting for weeks, months, without knowing if support will come at all. Every one of you with command experience knows what it means when instead of moving forward, you're just watching, waiting for armor or equipment while your enemy is satisfied and preparing for assaults,” Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president was in Washington, DC, on Monday for his third visit to the United States since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. The National Defense University is a Pentagon-funded college at Fort McNair for national security leaders, including American service members and foreign military partners.
He is expected to meet with US President Joe Biden at the White House and lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.
During his visit, Zelensky is expected to pitch lawmakers himself on getting more security aid as Congress continues to fight over the inclusion of major policy changes on the southern border in a security supplemental package.
“Let me be frank with you, friends: If there's anyone inspired by unresolved issues on Capitol Hill, it’s just Putin and his sick clique. They see their dreams come true when they see the delays or some scandals, and they see freedom to fall when the support of freedom fighters go down," Zelensky said.
Speaking ahead of Zelensky, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made similar comments, urging that America “not flinch in our defense of freedom.”
“If we do not stand up to the Kremlin's aggression today, if we do not deter other would-be aggressors, we will only invite more aggression, more bloodshed, and more chaos,” Austin said. “America will be more secure if we stand up to Putin’s increasingly aggressive Russia."
29 min ago
Biden has been calling out Republicans as progress on Ukraine aid stalls in Congress
From CNN's Kevin Liptak
President Joe Biden delivers remarks at Carpenters International Training Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 8. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is coming to the United States for meetings at the White House and on Capitol Hill Tuesday at a time when Republicans are skeptical of sending more aid to Ukraine.
If Congress leaves town for the holidays without reaching a deal, the White House will have to make tough choices about supplying allies such as Ukraine at the potential expense of United States military readiness. Top Biden administration officials have been sounding the alarm for weeks about funding for Ukraine running dry and the potential consequences.
The administration’s proposed $106 billion aid package includes about $60 billion in aid toward Ukraine’s defenses against Russia, with the rest going toward Israel’s war with Hamas, security in Taiwan and funding for operations at the US-Mexico border.
But top Republicans, wary of adding more to the $111 billion the US has already sent to Ukraine, have asked that any further funding be tied to major immigration-related policy changes.
“History’s going to judge harshly those who turn their back on freedom’s cause,” Biden said earlier this month. “We can’t let Putin win.”
The president said he was willing to make “significant compromises on the border,” conceding the country’s immigration system is “broken,” but added Ukraine’s needs are too critical to wait. He called out “extreme Republicans” as negotiators remain at a critical impasse over the sticking point issue of border security, saying those Republicans are “playing chicken with our national security.”
“Frankly, I think it’s stunning we got to this point in the first place … Russian forces are committing war crimes — it’s as simple as that,” Biden said.
News of Zelensky’s trip to Washington received pushback from some Republicans in Congress, including Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, who posted on X (formerly Twitter): “In the midst of a historic border crisis, Zelensky will come to Washington and demand that the Congress care more about his border than our own.”
Ukraine said Saturday that Russia launched nearly 100 air attacks across the country in the space of 24 hours, as its first lady warned Ukraine was in “mortal danger” without Western military aid.
“We really need the help,” Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, recently told the BBC of support to Ukraine. “In simple words, we cannot get tired of this situation, because if we do, we die. “And if the world gets tired, they will simply let us die.”
34 min ago
Fighting in Ukraine remains intense despite little movement along the front lines
From CNN's Maria Kostenko, Amarachi Orie and Radina Gigova
A man inspects damage at an oil depot hit by recent shelling in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, on December 7. Valery Melnikov/Reuters
Russia launched nearly 100 air attacks across Ukraine in the space of 24 hours, officials in Ukraine said over the weekend. The country's first lady warned Ukraine was in “mortal danger” without Western military aid.
“The enemy launched a total of 28 missiles and 27 airstrikes, firing 59 times from multiple launch rocket systems at Ukrainian military positions and populated areas,” according to a social media post from the Ukrainian General Staff Saturday.
Multiple regions in the east were targeted, including Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk, which have seen some of the most intense fighting.
The strikes come a day after Ukrainian authorities said they intercepted cruise missiles for the first time in nearly 80 days, as Western intelligence assessments warned Russia is likely to expand its bombardment of civilian infrastructure during the winter.
Russian forces shelled Ukraine’s Kherson region alone 62 times, firing more than 300 shells from mortars, artillery, Grad, tanks, UAVs and aircraft, according to Oleksandr Prokudin, the head of the region’s military administration.
At least one civilian was killed and another sustained shrapnel wounds after Russian forces dropped an explosive from a drone in the region’s city of Beryslav on Saturday morning, local authorities said Saturday.
Russia has also been pressing hard to capture the eastern city of Avdiivka, where soldiers have described grinding trench warfare.
What to watch for during Zelensky's 3rd visit to Washington since the war in Ukraine began
From CNN's Lauren Fox
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky poses for a photo in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on November 30. Efrem Lukatsky/AP
The fate of billions in assistance for Ukraine remains in limbo even as President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to make a crucial pitch to senators and House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday.
Zelensky’s visit to Washington — his third since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 — is unlikely to shift a now cemented dynamic in Washington that Republicans, even those that back additional funding for Ukraine, aren’t willing to do more unless Democrats and the White House concede on major policy changes on the US southern border.
It’s a complicated moment for the White House, which has made the case again and again that Zelensky and his country are at a critical inflection point in their fight for Democracy. And yet, President Joe Biden’s administration may not be able to deliver the resources it has promised if a domestic, decades-long fight over immigration doesn’t rapidly yield a breakthrough soon.
Here are some key things to know:
How much money is left: As CNN reported last week, there is just about $2 billion still available in the eyes of the administration the US can send out. There is $4.8 billion left in the presidential drawdown authority, but that funding is used to send existing US stockpiles to Ukraine and the US only has about $1 billion left to replenish those stockpiles. There is then about $1 billion left in intelligence and defense surveillance funds.
Zelensky’s crucial meetings on Capitol Hill with Senators: Senators are well aware of the dynamics on the battlefield, Ukraine’s dire needs and the implications of congressional inaction could have on the long-term outlook of Democracy in Europe and around the world. Republicans like Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, GOP Whip John Thune and other leaders like Sen. John Cornyn of Texas talk about it all of the time, but that has done little to impact their view that border security has to be part of any package for additional aid.
The speaker and Zelensky: Perhaps the most crucial meeting Tuesday will be the one between Johnson, the newly-minted speaker, and Zelensky. The last time Zelensky came to Washington, Kevin McCarthy was in the speaker position. Johnson has signaled that he is supportive of more aid to Ukraine, but has also made it clear to Senate leaders that the price for putting it on the House floor will be steep. Does a meeting with Zelensky, change the underlying dynamics of the moment? Unlikely. Johnson can’t put a bill on the floor without strong border security and even then he still could lose dozens of GOP votes.
State of border talks: Senate negotiators continued talking over the weekend, but there were no major breakthroughs. It was always incredibly unlikely lawmakers would stay in Washington to pass a supplemental, but if negotiators aren’t even on the cusp of a deal, if they aren’t in the final phase of negotiations, it’s all but guaranteed lawmakers will head home by the end of the week barring any last-minute push by leadership to keep them here to force that progress. The things still on the table at this point are, sources tell CNN, too conservative for Democrats to agree to.
In addition to aid, Zelensky and Biden are also expected also discuss defensive cooperation efforts for the coming year, including joint projects to produce weapons and air defense systems.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Commander of Ukraine's Ground Forces Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, right, and Roman Mashovets, deputy head of the presidential office, look at a map during their visit to the front-line city of Kupiansk, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on November 30. Efrem Lukatsky/AP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a direct appeal for more security aid on Monday during a speech at the National Defense University in Washington, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin is seeing his “dreams come true” as delays continue in Congress.
“Every one of you here understand what it means for a soldier to wait for munition, waiting for weeks, months, without knowing if support will come at all. Every one of you with command experience knows what it means when instead of moving forward, you're just watching, waiting for armor or equipment while your enemy is satisfied and preparing for assaults,” Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president was in Washington, DC, on Monday for his third visit to the United States since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. The National Defense University is a Pentagon-funded college at Fort McNair for national security leaders, including American service members and foreign military partners.
He is expected to meet with US President Joe Biden at the White House and lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.
During his visit, Zelensky is expected to pitch lawmakers himself on getting more security aid as Congress continues to fight over the inclusion of major policy changes on the southern border in a security supplemental package.
“Let me be frank with you, friends: If there's anyone inspired by unresolved issues on Capitol Hill, it’s just Putin and his sick clique. They see their dreams come true when they see the delays or some scandals, and they see freedom to fall when the support of freedom fighters go down," Zelensky said.
Speaking ahead of Zelensky, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made similar comments, urging that America “not flinch in our defense of freedom.”
“If we do not stand up to the Kremlin's aggression today, if we do not deter other would-be aggressors, we will only invite more aggression, more bloodshed, and more chaos,” Austin said. “America will be more secure if we stand up to Putin’s increasingly aggressive Russia."
President Joe Biden delivers remarks at Carpenters International Training Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 8. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is coming to the United States for meetings at the White House and on Capitol Hill Tuesday at a time when Republicans are skeptical of sending more aid to Ukraine.
If Congress leaves town for the holidays without reaching a deal, the White House will have to make tough choices about supplying allies such as Ukraine at the potential expense of United States military readiness. Top Biden administration officials have been sounding the alarm for weeks about funding for Ukraine running dry and the potential consequences.
The administration’s proposed $106 billion aid package includes about $60 billion in aid toward Ukraine’s defenses against Russia, with the rest going toward Israel’s war with Hamas, security in Taiwan and funding for operations at the US-Mexico border.
But top Republicans, wary of adding more to the $111 billion the US has already sent to Ukraine, have asked that any further funding be tied to major immigration-related policy changes.
“History’s going to judge harshly those who turn their back on freedom’s cause,” Biden said earlier this month. “We can’t let Putin win.”
The president said he was willing to make “significant compromises on the border,” conceding the country’s immigration system is “broken,” but added Ukraine’s needs are too critical to wait. He called out “extreme Republicans” as negotiators remain at a critical impasse over the sticking point issue of border security, saying those Republicans are “playing chicken with our national security.”
“Frankly, I think it’s stunning we got to this point in the first place … Russian forces are committing war crimes — it’s as simple as that,” Biden said.
News of Zelensky’s trip to Washington received pushback from some Republicans in Congress, including Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, who posted on X (formerly Twitter): “In the midst of a historic border crisis, Zelensky will come to Washington and demand that the Congress care more about his border than our own.”
Ukraine said Saturday that Russia launched nearly 100 air attacks across the country in the space of 24 hours, as its first lady warned Ukraine was in “mortal danger” without Western military aid.
“We really need the help,” Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, recently told the BBC of support to Ukraine. “In simple words, we cannot get tired of this situation, because if we do, we die. “And if the world gets tired, they will simply let us die.”
A man inspects damage at an oil depot hit by recent shelling in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, on December 7. Valery Melnikov/Reuters
Russia launched nearly 100 air attacks across Ukraine in the space of 24 hours, officials in Ukraine said over the weekend. The country's first lady warned Ukraine was in “mortal danger” without Western military aid.
“The enemy launched a total of 28 missiles and 27 airstrikes, firing 59 times from multiple launch rocket systems at Ukrainian military positions and populated areas,” according to a social media post from the Ukrainian General Staff Saturday.
Multiple regions in the east were targeted, including Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk, which have seen some of the most intense fighting.
The strikes come a day after Ukrainian authorities said they intercepted cruise missiles for the first time in nearly 80 days, as Western intelligence assessments warned Russia is likely to expand its bombardment of civilian infrastructure during the winter.
Russian forces shelled Ukraine’s Kherson region alone 62 times, firing more than 300 shells from mortars, artillery, Grad, tanks, UAVs and aircraft, according to Oleksandr Prokudin, the head of the region’s military administration.
At least one civilian was killed and another sustained shrapnel wounds after Russian forces dropped an explosive from a drone in the region’s city of Beryslav on Saturday morning, local authorities said Saturday.
Russia has also been pressing hard to capture the eastern city of Avdiivka, where soldiers have described grinding trench warfare.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky poses for a photo in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on November 30. Efrem Lukatsky/AP
The fate of billions in assistance for Ukraine remains in limbo even as President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to make a crucial pitch to senators and House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday.
Zelensky’s visit to Washington — his third since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 — is unlikely to shift a now cemented dynamic in Washington that Republicans, even those that back additional funding for Ukraine, aren’t willing to do more unless Democrats and the White House concede on major policy changes on the US southern border.
It’s a complicated moment for the White House, which has made the case again and again that Zelensky and his country are at a critical inflection point in their fight for Democracy. And yet, President Joe Biden’s administration may not be able to deliver the resources it has promised if a domestic, decades-long fight over immigration doesn’t rapidly yield a breakthrough soon.
Here are some key things to know:
How much money is left: As CNN reported last week, there is just about $2 billion still available in the eyes of the administration the US can send out. There is $4.8 billion left in the presidential drawdown authority, but that funding is used to send existing US stockpiles to Ukraine and the US only has about $1 billion left to replenish those stockpiles. There is then about $1 billion left in intelligence and defense surveillance funds.
Zelensky’s crucial meetings on Capitol Hill with Senators: Senators are well aware of the dynamics on the battlefield, Ukraine’s dire needs and the implications of congressional inaction could have on the long-term outlook of Democracy in Europe and around the world. Republicans like Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, GOP Whip John Thune and other leaders like Sen. John Cornyn of Texas talk about it all of the time, but that has done little to impact their view that border security has to be part of any package for additional aid.
The speaker and Zelensky: Perhaps the most crucial meeting Tuesday will be the one between Johnson, the newly-minted speaker, and Zelensky. The last time Zelensky came to Washington, Kevin McCarthy was in the speaker position. Johnson has signaled that he is supportive of more aid to Ukraine, but has also made it clear to Senate leaders that the price for putting it on the House floor will be steep. Does a meeting with Zelensky, change the underlying dynamics of the moment? Unlikely. Johnson can’t put a bill on the floor without strong border security and even then he still could lose dozens of GOP votes.
State of border talks: Senate negotiators continued talking over the weekend, but there were no major breakthroughs. It was always incredibly unlikely lawmakers would stay in Washington to pass a supplemental, but if negotiators aren’t even on the cusp of a deal, if they aren’t in the final phase of negotiations, it’s all but guaranteed lawmakers will head home by the end of the week barring any last-minute push by leadership to keep them here to force that progress. The things still on the table at this point are, sources tell CNN, too conservative for Democrats to agree to.
