US risks handing Putin 'the greatest gift', Ukraine, Biden says
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US President Joe Biden is worried that Congress will not pass a bill on aid to Ukraine in time and ultimately cause his administration to lose Kiev.
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Ukrainian servicemen prepare to fire at Russian positions from a US-supplied M777 howitzer in Kharkov on July 14, 2022 (AP)
President Joe Biden issued an urgent plea to US lawmakers, stressing the critical need for swift approval of funding to support Ukraine's war effort, otherwise, he underlined, Russia would reign victorious very soon.
The President warned that failure to act promptly would hand Russian President Vladimir Putin "the greatest gift" and could lead to more severe consequences for Ukraine.
"This cannot wait," President Biden declared, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. "Congress needs to pass supplemental funding for Ukraine before they break for the holiday recess -- it's as simple as that."
Biden underscored the potential dangers of a successful Russian seizure of Ukraine, cautioning that Putin's ambitions extend beyond its borders.
"If Putin takes Ukraine, he won't stop there... He's going to keep going, he's made that pretty clear," claimed the US President, highlighting the need for decisive action to prevent further escalation.
Furthermore, Biden outlined the potential risks to the NATO alliance if Russia were to launch an attack on one of its member countries.
"Then we'll have something that we don't seek, and that we don't have today: American troops fighting Russian troops... if he moves into other parts of NATO," he cautioned, underscoring the need for a united front against potential aggression.
Border partisan issues
President Biden indicated a willingness to make concessions in ongoing negotiations with Republicans over Mexico border reforms in exchange for their support in providing additional aid to Ukraine.
"This is too serious. I am willing to make significant compromises on the border. We need to fix the broken border system. It is broken. And thus far, I've got no response," he added.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has reiterated his plea to Congress to swiftly approve the national security supplemental request put forth by the Biden administration.
Austin has pointed out that a substantial portion of the allocated funds is intended to circulate back into the United States' industrial sector in the form of investments.
He expressed optimism, saying, "I am hopeful that Congress will expeditiously approve the President's crucial national security supplemental request, which encompasses an additional $50 billion to bolster the US industrial base. A significant proportion of these funds will return to our nation through investments aimed at creating American jobs."
Austin delivered these remarks at the US-Ukraine Defense Industrial Base Conference.
Read more: Ukraine may lose war if US funding falls through: Yermak
Pick a war
Despite months of media headlines talking about Ukraine's successful war efforts, especially in the spring offensive, recently emerging reports suggest otherwise.
The slowly forming consensus, both at the level of government and the public, has led to more pressure on Biden's administration.
Washington has been under heavy criticism for the past few months over its ongoing support of Ukraine amid internal financial peaking challenges, domestic priorities including border security budgets - which Republicans are calling for an increase of in contrast to Democrats - and an unclear exit plan for the war.
This situation became more apparent after the Israeli war on Gaza started, which prompted the US to rapidly open up its weapons warehouses to assist the occupation entity and start issuing cheques to support its struggling economy.
Bad news
In the context, Congress saw growing divisions over continuing to provide aid to Kiev - or at least at the same pace - all while attending to the new hotspot in the Middle East.
This atmosphere is also shared by many European countries, which have lately expressed the desire to see this war end, even if it meant peace talks with Russia.
Read more: Seymour Hersh: Russia, Ukraine peace underway, 4 new region additions
Just last week, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg issued a cautionary statement, emphasizing the importance of the Western military alliance's preparedness for potential negative developments on the Ukrainian front.
"Wars develop in phases," Stoltenberg said in an interview last Saturday with German broadcaster ARD. "We have to support Ukraine in both good and bad times," he said.
"We should also be prepared for bad news,” Stoltenberg added, without being more specific.
