Joe Biden’s administration is putting pressure on Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky to abandon plans for a new offensive and instead “hold and build” gains from Russia over the winter.

American military officials believe Ukraine should consolidate territory it has won over the last year and dig in, rather than launch a new counter-offensive, after disappointing results from Mr Zelensky’s autumn push.

Mr Zelensky was due to hold meetings with congressmen and the US president in Washington DC, in a last-ditch attempt to convince wavering Republicans to support a new $61 billion (£48.5 billion) package of military aid.

A significant number of both senators and representatives in the GOP are opposed to further funding for the war, without significant concessions from Mr Biden on funding for border control measures between the US and Mexico.

Mr Zelensky was due to meet senators and the House speaker Mike Johnson on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, as he makes a final plea for funding to aid Ukraine’s preparation for a Russian winter campaign.

“America and all free nations need to be confident in themselves, in their strength, in their leadership, so that dictatorships doubt themselves and their power to undermine freedom,” he said on Monday ahead of his visit.

“When the free world hesitates, that’s when dictatorships celebrate, and their most dangerous ambitions ripen.”

Lack of funding ‘will have significant impact’

Mr Biden’s administration has admitted that without new funding by the end of 2023, there will be a significant impact on Ukraine’s ability to repel Russian advances and defend its gains in the south-east of the country.

“I want to be clear: without congressional action, by the end of the year, we will run out of resources to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine and to provide equipment from US military stocks,” said Shalanda Young, the director of the US Office of Management and Budget, last week.

However, the White House is also pushing Mr Zelensky to change his military strategy away from further territorial gains, and towards the defence of existing land at threat from Vladimir Putin’s attacks.

Military officials hope that by next year, Ukraine will have built up its own weapons manufacturing industry and reduced its reliance on American and European stockpiles, ready for a new offensive when the weather improves.

The New York Times reported that Mr Zelensky’s administration would prefer to continue fighting the war in the south, despite an underwhelming autumn offensive that achieved its goals of recapturing the cities of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson but failed to move the front lines much further into Russian territory.

US officials told the newspaper that without a change in approach, Ukraine faces losses akin to Allied forces in 1916, when millions died for few territorial gains.

Putin plans to destroy critical infrastructure

They said Ukraine should instead follow a “hold and build” strategy to defend gains in the east and south-east over the winter months.

Putin is thought to be planning another winter bombing campaign on major Ukrainian cities, designed to destroy critical infrastructure ahead of more fighting on the front lines in the spring.

So far, Nato allies have supplied Ukraine with air defence weapons to protect its cities, but face domestic opposition to the war in the US and Germany as it approaches its second anniversary.

Republicans in Washington are blaming Mr Biden for the lack of funding, arguing that the White House should be more receptive to a deal involving greater border security.

John Thune, the Senate minority whip, said: “Our members are pretty dug in. The message coming out of Zelensky’s meeting ought to be, ‘We want to help, but we need the Democrats to get serious about the border’. I mean, it’s really that simple right now.”

‘Why won’t Democrats get the job done?

Mitt Romney, a GOP senator who has previously been supportive of Ukraine, said: “Why won’t Democrats get the job done? Getting funding for Ukraine is so critical, they ought to do whatever it takes to get the border [fixed].”

But Democrats say intransigent Republicans are holding up the funding package by refusing to vote for it in Congress without unrealistic concessions from Mr Biden.

“I don’t think it’s President Biden who is setting up Zelensky to fail,” the Democratic senator Chris Coons told Punchbowl News, the US online political daily.

“I think it is colleagues of mine who are insisting on driving too hard a deal.”

Mr Biden and Mr Zelensky were due to appear at a joint press conference following a bilateral meeting in the White House on Tuesday.