President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to meet with US President Joe Biden, senators, and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson this week, as congressional Republicans drag their feet on approving more military aid to Ukraine.
Zelensky is currently in Buenos Aires, attending the inauguration of the Argentinian president, Javier Milei, and will travel to Washington on Tuesday.
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The Senate’s Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) also invited the Ukrainian president to meet with the entire upper chamber, a week after Zelensky unexpectedly canceled a video call at the last minute with senators as discord erupted on Capitol Hill.
The House Speaker's office also announced that Johnson is scheduled to meet with Zelensky during his visit.
Lacking any agreement on further Kyiv funding, the White House and Democrats have warned that pre-approved military aid will run out soon. The US State Department released a $175-million tranche of pre-approved military aid last week.
The Ukrainian president’s office said the meeting will focus on key issues such as “joint projects on the production of weapons and air defense systems, as well as the coordination of efforts between our countries in the coming year,” AFP reported.
Zelensky will face fierce scrutiny from a small pocket of vocal senators, spearheaded by Ohio Republican JD Vance, who are demanding deep changes to US immigration policy as a trade-off for funding Kyiv’s defense of the Russian invasion.
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“You need to articulate what the ambition is. What is $61 billion going to accomplish that $100 billion hasn't?” Vance said on CNN on Sunday, referring to the Ukrainian-portion of the most recent aid package proposal that failed to garner the requisite 60 votes in the Senate, and the approximate total sent already.
“What’s in America’s best interest is to accept Ukraine is going to have to cede some territory to the Russians and we need to bring the war to a close,” he said.
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