Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told America his country was fighting for "our freedom and yours" as he made an impassioned plea Tuesday for Congress to approve more assistance to fight Russia’s invasion.
But prospects for additional US aid to Ukraine appeared seriously delayed, if not in grave doubt, despite his whirlwind diplomacy in Washington
After hours of talks on Capitol Hill, Zelensky spent more hours at the White House meeting with President Joe Biden and his aides about a way forward. The US has already provided Ukraine $111 billion since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his grinding invasion more than 21 months ago, but Republicans are insisting on linking any more money to strict US-Mexico border security changes that Democrats decry.
The White House is warning that if new money isn't provided by year's end it will have swift consequences for Ukraine's capacity to hold its territory, let alone take back land captured by Russia.
As Zelensky wrapped up his two-day visit to Washington, it was unclear if he had been able to shake up the political stalemate over aid – though negotiations swiftly resumed at the Capitol and key Senate negotiators emerged saying they had made progress. He sought to make the case that supporting his country’s fight for its territorial integrity is about far more than Ukraine.
"For nearly two years we’ve been in a full scale war – the biggest since World War II, fighting for freedom," Zelensky said. "No matter what Putin tries he hasn’t won any victories. Thanks to Ukraine's success – success in defense – other European nations are safe from the Russian aggression."
Biden similarly warned that failure by the United States to provide Ukraine further aid would embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin and others on the world stage.
"Putin is banking on the United States failing to deliver on Ukraine," Biden said. "We must, we must, we must prove him wrong."
Earlier, meeting with Zelensky in the Oval Office, Biden called on Congress "to do the right thing, to stand with Ukraine, and to stand up for freedom." He added, "Congress needs to pass the supplemental funding for Ukraine before they break for the holiday recess. Before they give Putin the greatest Christmas gift they could possibly give him."
Zelensky made his own case in his private meetings with congressional leaders – that Ukrainian forces have fought fiercely to push back the Russian invasion with the help of American and other Western allies and it's no time for Ukraine's friends to step back.
"The fight we're in is a fight for freedom," Zelensky repeatedly said in the meetings on Capitol Hill, according to lawmakers.
Elsewhere meanwhile, more than 130 senior lawmakers from across Europe signed a letter urging US lawmakers to continue their support for Ukraine.
In Washington, flanked by Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Zelensky entered a private meeting with senators with a public bipartisan show of support and to some applause. But more than an hour later few senators' minds appeared changed.
Zelensky also visited House leaders, including privately with new Speaker Mike Johnson, whose hard-right Republicans have been the most resistant to any deal. Johnson insisted afterward: "We do want to do the right thing here."
Zelensky sought to impress on the senators that Ukraine could win the war against Russia, telling them he was drafting men in their 30s and 40s in a show of strength for the battle. In his trademark olive drab, he stood before a portrait of George Washington, history hanging behind him.
To the House Democrats, he showcased his country's embrace of the West by pointing to the Christmas season, telling them it was the first year Ukraine would celebrate on Dec. 25 rather than the day Russians mark the holiday.
McConnell said Zelensky was "inspirational and determined" in the Senate meeting.
But Republican senators seemed unmoved from their position. Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma said the emergency funding wouldn’t gain GOP support unless it includes "real, meaningful border reform."
Biden pushed back that "history will judge harshly those who turned their backs on freedom’s cause." The president quoted a Kremlin-aligned television host celebrating Republicans' recent blocking of aid as a job "well done."
"If you’re being celebrated by Russian propagandists, it might be time to rethink what you’re doing," he said.
Biden has been calling for a $110 billion US aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other national security needs.
He has expressed a willingness to engage with the Republicans as migrant crossings have hit record highs along the US-Mexico border, but Democrats in his own party oppose proposals for expedited deportations and strict asylum standards as a return to Trump-era hostility toward migrants.
It's Zelensky's third visit to Washington since the war broke out in February 2022, including a quick trip just a few months ago as aid was being considered. But his surprise arrival days before Christmas last December drew thunderous applause in Congress, his daring first wartime trip out of Ukraine.
At the time, lawmakers sported the blue-and-yellow colors of Ukraine, and Zelensky delivered a speech that drew on the parallels to World War II as he thanked Americans for their support.
But 2023 brought a new power center of hard-right Republicans, many aligned with Donald Trump, the former president who is now the GOP front-runner in the 2024 race for the White House.
Of the new $110 billion national security package, $61.4 billion would go toward Ukraine – with about half to the US Defense Department to replenish weaponry it is supplying, and the other half for humanitarian assistance and to help the Ukrainian government function with emergency responders, public works and other operations.
The package includes another nearly $14 billion for Israel as it fights Hamas and $14 billion for US border security. Additional funds would go for national security needs in the Asia-Pacific region.
Biden also announced Tuesday that he had approved an additional $200 million military aid package for Ukraine. Including that latest package, the US now has about $4.4 billion remaining in weapons it can provide from department stockpiles.