Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that lagging support in the United States for continuing to arm and aid his country as the war enters its second year is "dangerous."
The Ukrainian lead argued on Friday, which was the first anniversary of Russia's invasion, that if the U.S. were to cease providing aid for Ukraine, Kyiv could lose the war and the conflict could expand to include the NATO alliance. This would bring the U.S. and Russia into direct conflict.
TIMELINE OF RUSSIA'S YEARLONG WAR IN UKRAINE
"I can tell them one thing: If they do not change their opinion, if they do not understand us, if they do not support Ukraine, they will lose NATO, they will lose the clout of the United States, they will lose the leadership position they are enjoying in the world," he told reporters through a translator at a press conference when asked about U.S. support for continuing aid. "I’m actually very happy that we have bipartisan support, but we keep hearing those messages from time to time, and they’re dangerous."
President Joe Biden reiterated his continued support for Ukraine earlier this week during his trip to Warsaw, Poland, and surprise visit to Kyiv, where he met with Zelensky. During his speech in Warsaw, Biden declared NATO's Article 5 agreement, which means every member of the alliance has to consider an attack against one of them as an attack against themselves, "rock solid."
Fewer Americans now support continuing aid to Ukraine than they did at the outset of the conflict a year ago.
An Associated Press-NORC poll showed in May of last year that 60% of the public supported sending weapons to Ukraine, while the same poll found weeks ago that only 48% still approve of doing so. Additionally, 37% of respondents said they backed sending government funds to Ukraine in the recent poll, while 44% of respondents said last May that they supported it.
There is an overwhelming majority of Congress that continues to support arming Ukraine, while a portion of them believe the Biden administration should provide more advanced and longer-ranged weapons. One lawmaker, House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH), said last week that he believed "probably 400" of the 435 voting members of the House of Representatives continue to support aiding Ukraine.
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Congress has already allocated more than $112 billion for Ukraine in various forms.
The aid consists of approximately $67 billion of military aid, $28 billion of economic aid, nearly $15 billion in humanitarian aid, and roughly $3 billion includes money meant for oversight, support for Ukraine’s nuclear power sector, moving U.S. embassy personnel and spending on investigation of oligarchs and war crimes.