Michelle ThompsonAfter Congress passed and he signed legislation that kept the U.S. government funded, President Joe Biden spoke with allies and partners on Tuesday to organize future support for Ukraine but abandoned his demand for billions of dollars to aid Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.
Biden had organized the call, but the White House made no mention of what was said.
Afterward, Andrzej Duda, the president of Poland, stated that Biden had reassured the group of continuing U.S. support for Ukraine and of his firm belief that Congress won’t abandon it.
“Everyone rose to speak. At a news conference in Kielce, Poland, Duda stated that the situation in Ukraine was the major topic. President Joe Biden started off by describing the situation in the United States and the actual political scenario in Ukraine. He gave us the reassurance that the ongoing support for Ukraine, particularly the military help, has support. He said that the Congress would support him.
According to Duda, Biden reassured the leaders that congressional support for Ukraine is much more widespread than what the media has been reporting. He claimed that after Biden urged the attendees to continue supporting Ukraine, everyone gave him their assurances that they would.
Duda, whose nation borders Ukraine, declared, “All of us, leaders, we are determined to continue supporting Ukraine.”
Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary-general of NATO, posted on social media that it was a “Good call with #NATO leaders hosted by @POTUS,” using the abbreviation for the American president. “As Russia continues its brutal war, we are all committed to supporting #Ukraine for as long as it takes,” Stoltenberg said.
On the call, the presidents of Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Romania, Britain, the European Commission, and the European Council also joined Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The foreign minister of France also took part, according to the White House. Scheduling concerns prevented the French President Emmanuel Macron from attending, according to a representative of the US government.
A plan for rebuilding Ukraine was also considered, according to Duda.
He remarked, “Everyone was saying this is the next step that will be required and for which preparations should start now.”
Hours after approving a bill to finance U.S. government operations into mid-November, Biden sought to reassure friends in remarks made in public on Sunday that the United States will continue to provide financial support for Ukraine’s efforts to stave off Russian military aggression. However, he emphasized that there was a limited amount of time and asked Congress to swiftly negotiate a fresh aid package.
Biden said at the White House after Congress averted a government shutdown by adopting a short-term funding package late Saturday that excluded money for Ukraine: “We cannot, under any circumstances, allow America’s support for Ukraine to be interrupted.”
Given that the funds in the measure will expire in mid-November, Biden stated, “We have time, but not much time, and there is an overwhelming sense of urgency.”
According to Biden, “the overwhelming majority of both parties—Democrats and Republicans, Senate and House—support aiding Ukraine and the savage aggression that is being imposed upon them by Russia. Stop playing games and finish this.
However, several legislators agree that getting congressional approval for Ukraine help is becoming more difficult as Republican opposition to the aid has grown as the war continues.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., confronts a more challenging challenge in upholding the commitment he made against the opposition of nearly half of his GOP majority. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has started a process to potentially examine legislation providing further Ukraine help.
McCarthy made it known over the weekend that he is in favor of tying additional funds for the Ukraine to increased border security with Mexico.
One of the most glaring instances yet of the Republican Party’s transition toward a more isolationist position is the most recent acts in Congress, which reflect a gradual change in the steadfast support that the United States has so far committed to Ukraine in its struggle against Russia.
A little over a week after senators and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in the Capitol, money for Ukraine was excluded. While attempting to reassure people that his force was winning the battle, he emphasized the need for further support.
Last week’s House vote indicated potential difficulty ahead. For the purpose of arming and training Ukrainian soldiers, $300 million was stripped from a Pentagon budget measure by nearly half of the House Republicans. Later, the funds were granted separately, but those opposed to supporting Ukraine welcomed their increasing numbers.
In reaction to Russia’s invasion, the United States has approved four rounds of aid to Ukraine totaling nearly $113 billion, some of which will be used to resupply American military hardware that has been deployed to the front lines. Biden urged Congress to allocate an additional $24 billion in August.
Emily Martinez
