Zelensky urges US to stay united to keep the cash flowing
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a virtual address as he receives the US Liberty Medal, encourages the US to remain united until peace in Ukraine is achieved.
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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky seen on video after receiving the 2022 Liberty Medal (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, encouraged the US on Tuesday to maintain its unity as concerns about American support for Kiev after the Midterm elections unfold.
US President Joe Biden has urged voters to support Democrats in the House of Representatives and the Senate, noting that the US has been a crucial partner of Ukraine and has given it both financial support and weaponry backing.
In a recorded address, as he received the US Liberty Medal, Zelensky said, "I call on you to maintain unwavering unity, as it is now, until that very day when we all hear those important words we have been dreaming of ... Until we hear that peace has finally been restored."
Lecturing the US voters on the notion of democracy and patriotism, the Ukrainian President noted that "democracies must not stop on their way to victory. As in any democratic society, Ukrainians have different views on life and politics," adding, "But when Russia decided to destroy our freedom and wipe Ukraine off the face of the earth, we immediately got united and we keep this unity."
On October 7, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the US will remain committed to providing Ukraine with 'unwavering' support even if the Republicans win the congressional midterm elections on November 8.
Some reports have in recent weeks revealed that if Republicans were to win the midterm elections, support for Ukraine will be brutally slashed down.
"We are confident the US' support will be unflinching and will be unwavering," adding that President Joe Biden is "committed to work in a bipartisan fashion, as he has been doing, to support Ukraine."
However, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.), who is currently leading the race to become House of Representatives speaker, said Republicans will not write a “blank check” for Ukraine if his party wins the House majority, adding that "people are gonna be sitting in a recession and they’re not going to write a blank check to Ukraine."
"They just won’t do it. … It’s not a free blank check," those last two words were sufficient enough to send shivers down Zelensky's spine.
Republicans have recently expanded in size and strength in light of growing inflation, the immigration crisis, and the excruciating amounts of aid supplied to Ukraine.
Earlier, Nate Evans, spokesperson for the US mission to the UN, revealed that Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US ambassador at the UN, met with Zelensky in Kiev to "discuss the unwavering US commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine."
Evans added that "she reiterated that the United States is steadfast in its support for Ukraine and is prepared to stand with Ukraine as long as it takes."
The United States will send a new $400 million security assistance package to Ukraine, US Department of Defense Spokesperson Sabrina Singh said during a press briefing on Friday.
“Some of the capabilities include funding to refurbish Hawk air defense missiles for inclusion in future presidential drawdown packages, 45 refurbished T-72 tanks with advanced optics, communications, and armor packages, 1,100 Phoenix Ghost tactical unmanned aerial systems, 40 armored Riverine boats, and funding to refurbish 250 M1117 armored security vehicles,” Singh said.
The spokesperson explained that the T-72 tanks will be coming from the Czech Republic's defense base, and they are not actually US tanks. The US will cover the fees to refurbish 45 tanks from the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands will match this commitment by paying for the refurbishment of another 45 T-72 tanks for Ukraine.
