krainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has urged US senators to proceed army assist for Ukraine, as Republicans point out they might block new funding.
He visited Washington DC to carry a personal assembly with Republican and Democratic leaders on Thursday, warning that his nation would “lose the battle” with out US assist.
President Zelensky confronted questions concerning the newest spherical of US funding, a further 24 billion US {dollars}, that hangs within the stability.
The US has for 19 months helped Mr Zelensky’s troops within the combat in opposition to Russia’s invasion.
However a faction of congressional Republicans, largely aligned with Donald Trump, is threatening to disrupt what has been simple sign-offs on 4 earlier rounds of funding for Ukraine, totalling 113 billion US {dollars} (£92 billion).
Requested concerning the funding difficulty after assembly with Mr Zelensky, US President Joe Biden mentioned: “I’m relying on the great judgment of the USA Congress. There’s no various.”
He gave Mr Zelensky a crimson carpet arrival on the White Home South garden and made clear his concern with Congress.
It was Mr Zelensky’s second go to to Washington since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
The administration did announce one other 325 million US {dollars} (£264 million) on Thursday in what’s referred to as presidential drawdown help for Ukraine.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned the bundle would come with extra air protection, artillery ammunition, cluster munitions and different arms.
Mr Zelensky thanked Mr Biden for the brand new army support bundle, saying “it has precisely what our troopers want now”.
Mr Biden advised Mr Zelensky: “Mr President, we’re with you, we’re staying with you”, earlier than reaching throughout the desk and shaking his hand after two hours of talks.
Biden shook Zelensky’s hand after their assembly within the East Room of the White Home
/ Getty PhotographsLawmakers who attended the non-public assembly described questioning Mr Zelensky on the best way ahead for Ukraine’s counteroffensive, because the combat to roll again invading Russian forces strikes nearer to the two-year mark with out main breakthroughs in Russia’s closely mined strains.
Mr Zelensky “conceded that it’s powerful, very powerful to beat entrenched defenses,” Impartial Senator Angus King mentioned.
“They consider they may make sluggish however regular progress, nevertheless it’s not going to be fast.”
On Friday Mr Zelensky arrived in Canada to handle its Parliament and meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa.
Canada is one in all Kyiv’s staunchest supporters and is ready to announce through the go to that it’s sending extra weapons to Ukraine, in response to a authorities official.
“Canada will proceed to assist Ukraine so long as it takes and we are going to at all times stand agency to defend the rule of regulation and the worldwide guidelines based mostly order,” Mr Trudeau advised reporters in New York on Thursday.
In the meantime Mr Zelensky faces challenges in Europe, with Poland’s prime minister saying his nation is now not sending arms to Ukraine amid a dispute over grain imports.
