President Biden pledges just $200 million to Ukraine
(Baonghean.vn) - US President Joe Biden has promised an additional $200 million in emergency military aid to Ukraine. He made this commitment during a meeting in the Oval Office with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on December 12.
The meeting comes after a bill to provide $60 billion in aid to Kiev was blocked by the US Senate last week, as Republicans demanded tighter immigration controls at the US southern border in exchange for approving aid to Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting on Tuesday, President Biden insisted that Congress “pass additional funding for Ukraine” before the recess, stressing that failure to do so would be “the biggest Christmas gift” to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“The decisions we make now will determine the future for decades to come, especially in Europe,” Mr. Biden said.
The latest $200 million in aid announced by Mr. Biden will come from Presidential Drawing Authority (PDA), which allows the Biden administration to transfer weapons from the US stockpile without congressional approval in an emergency.
The package will include ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), high-speed anti-radiation missiles, anti-armor systems, artillery shells, missiles, demolition charges, 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition, generators and other equipment and spare parts, AP news agency quoted US officials as saying.
Earlier in the day, President Zelensky met with US lawmakers on Capitol Hill to lobby for more aid amid the ongoing conflict with Russia. The Ukrainian leader met with House Speaker Mike Johnson as well as several other senators.
Posting on X, President Zelensky said he had a “friendly and frank conversation” with the Senate leaders.
However, Republican leader Mitch McConnell told reporters on Tuesday that it was “almost impossible” for Congress to pass additional funding, including the stalled $60 billion package for Kiev, before Christmas, and instead must move toward a larger package that includes changes to border security policy.
