Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, has pleaded with Congress to support further help to Kyiv, a request that few, if any, have heeded.
In an effort to rally support for $61 billion (£49 billion) in aid that has been sidelined by the US government’s border policy, Mr. Zelensky paid leaders a visit in Washington, DC.
President Joe Biden accompanied him at the White House, stating that Congress needed to “compromise” and “prove Putin wrong”.
However, Congressmen told the BBC that following the discussions, nothing had changed.
Mr. Zelensky made his third trip to the country’s capital following Russia’s invasion of his territory in February 2022.
There was no ceremonial hoopla or red carpet arrival like on his previous two visits, which reflected the hopelessness surrounding attempts to win.
The Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and his Republican counterpart Mitch McConnell accompanied the Ukrainian leader earlier in the day when they went into closed-door meetings with senators.
If US funding stops, Ukraine will feel the effects.
The Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, who has remained committed to advancing border problems, was the next person he met one-on-one with.
The American people live in these conditions, according to Mr. Johnson. “We are resolute on that” .
With “no clear strategy to win” and “an inability to provide the answers that the American people are owed,” the Speaker held the White House accountable for the delay.
According to recent polls, the majority of Americans no longer favor increasing aid to Ukraine, and in Congress, resistance has been more loud in recent months.
Senator Eric Schmitt, a Republican from Missouri, stated that he had not heard anything new from Mr. Zelensky and that he did not believe the Democrats understood the Republicans’ commitment to safeguarding the southern border.
“When they see 12,000 people coming across our borders, the people back home are not interested in a blank check for Ukraine,”.
