Zelenskyy returns to US as dissent simmers among GOP members on Ukraine spendings

Washington, Sep 21: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy returned to Washington on Thursday for a whirlwind one-day visit, this time to face the Republicans now questioning the flow of American dollars that for 19 months has kept his troops in the fight against Russian forces. Zelenskyy will meet with President Joe Biden at the White House, speak with US military leaders at the Pentagon and stop at Capitol Hill to talk privately with Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate as the world is watching Western support for Kyiv.
It is Zelenskyy’s second visit to Washington since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and comes as Biden’s request to Congress for an additional USD 24 billion for Ukraine’s military and humanitarian needs is hanging in the balance. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby called the Ukrainian president “our best messenger” in persuading US lawmakers to keep vital US money and weapons coming. “It’s really important for members of Congress to be able to hear directly from the president about what he’s facing in this counteroffensive,” Kirby told reporters Wednesday, “and how he’s achieving his goals, and what he needs to continue to achieve those goals.”
Biden has called on world leaders to stand strong with Ukraine, even as he faces domestic political divisions at home. A hard-right flank of Republicans, led by former President Donald Trump, Biden’s chief rival in the 2024 race for the White House, is increasingly opposed to sending more money overseas. As the White House worked to shore up support for Ukraine before Zelenskyy’s visit, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and top intelligence officials briefed senior lawmakers behind closed doors Wednesday to argue the case. But some Senate Republicans walked out of the briefing no more convinced than before about the necessity of spending more on Ukraine. Since the start of the war, most members of Congress supported approving four rounds of aid to Ukraine, totalling about USD 113 billion, viewing defence of the country and its democracy as an imperative, especially when it comes to containing Russian President Vladimir Putin. (AP)