Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to lawmakers on Capitol Hill in private meeetings Tuesday, but his pleas for aid failed to sway Republican lawmakers who have tied further aid to Ukraine to issues including border security. After meeting with Zelensky, House Speaker Mike Johnson said he "reiterated to him that we stand with him and against Putin's brutal invasion," but Republican demands haven't changed, the Hill reports. Johnson said he has told the White House that "our first condition on any national security supplemental spending package is about our own national security." "We need a clear articulation of the strategy to allow Ukraine to win," said Johnson, who insisted, "We do want to do the right thing here."
The AP reports that Zelensky told senators Ukraine could win the war against Russia and repeatedly said, "The fight we're in is a fight for freedom." Republican Sen. Ron Johnson said Zelensky warned the conflict could be headed for "guerrilla warfare" if Ukraine loses US military assistance. During a meeting with Zelensky in the Oval Office later Tuesday, President Biden urged Congress to "stand with Ukraine" and "stand up for freedom," saying, "Congress needs to pass the supplemental funding for Ukraine before they break for the holiday recess. before they give Putin the greatest Christmas gift they could possibly give him."
After Zelensky spoke to senators, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell described him as "inspirational and determined," though other senators said there was little hope of a deal emerging before lawmakers recess for the holidays. "My advice to the White House would be, the president made a commitment to Zelensky. To honor that commitment, they're going to need to secure the border," Republican Sen. Mitt Romney said, per the Washington Post. "If I were the president, I would twist every Democrat arm and maybe some Republican arms, and say, 'Get the job done." (More Russia-Ukraine war stories.)
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