Biden pledges another $200mln to Kiev despite Republican opposition
4 Min Read
US President Joe Biden pledges $200 million in military aid to Kiev from US war stocks right after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attend a news conference in the Indian Treaty Room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House Campus, Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, in Washington. (AP)
In continued updates, US President Joe Biden has pledged to send an additional $200 million in aid to Ukraine, as discussed in a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday.
This comes after Congress Republicans blocked a bill to send military aid worth almost $60 billion to Kiev. Republicans are ever-more openly rejecting the need to fund Ukraine, saying that President Joe Biden needs to devote more attention to domestic security, particularly to stopping illegal migration over the US-Mexican border.
Following Tuesday's meeting, House Speaker and Republican Mike Johnson told reporters that Zelensky had not made any convincing arguments as to why Ukraine needs more funding. Lawmakers and US officials have had their minds set concerning where funds should go. It was reported, by Republicans Lindsey Graham and Eric Schmitt that despite the senators' "very scripted questions," Zelensky failed to defend his pleas and could not sway their support back to Kiev.
Ohio Senator James David Vance also blatantly criticized Zelensky, saying his trip was "utterly disgraceful" as he tastelessly "lectures Americans on where their tax dollars should go."
Biden stressed that Congress must pass the bill in urgent support of Ukraine, otherwise, they would be sending Russia "the greatest Christmas present." He added that the decisions the US makes now will map out the trajectory of European history.
Conservatives insisted on linking their approval of the package for these close foreign allies to Democrats and the White House agreeing to comprehensive immigration reforms. As per recent and popular demands, it is very unlikely that the House will pass any aid to Ukraine unless packaged with funds to secure the US-Mexican border.
Moreover, it was noted that Zelensky must also strategize clearly, as funds were perceived to be sent to a battle that did not yield the anticipated results. Republicans have also questioned whether Ukraine should keep fighting at all.
However, it is worth noting that Biden's allocation of $200 million in aid does not rely on Congress' approval, instead, the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) will be supplying Kiev with US stock weaponry for the 44th time since the war began.
The package includes air defense system munition, ammo for high mobility artillery rocket systems, mine clearing equipment, tank ammo, additional artillery, missiles, anti-armor rockets, vehicles and water trailers, more than 12 million small arms ammunition and grenades, demolition munitions, and finally, spare parts for maintenance equipment.
We have sent almost all of our war stocks, weapons systems and ammunition to Ukraine.
— Douglas Macgregor (@DougAMacgregor) November 24, 2023
We don't have a great deal left.
The war in Ukraine is lost.
Make Peace you fools!
Read more: Ex-Pentagon official: All war stocks, weapons systems sent to Kiev
Ukraine over America
Back in October, member of the Ukrainian parliament Aleksey Goncharenko made it clear that Ukraine would almost surely lose its war against Russia if the United States quit supplying Kiev with military aid.
"Without the support of the USA, we have almost no chance of holding out," Goncharenko wrote on Telegram.
His words came a day after US Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy proposed cutting military aid to Ukraine from the financing bill to avoid a government shutdown.
The House Speaker warned that favoring "Ukraine over America" may lead to "real problems". He also pointed out that were it not for the aid to Ukraine, US lawmakers may have enacted a last-minute budget plan to extend government financing beyond September and prevent a potential shutdown.
Read more: Biden decries failure to support Ukraine, says it's 'absolutely crazy'
