Zelensky was going to perform in the US Senate - but the performance did not take place

Congress can not agree on a new packet of assistance to Ukraine

Military assistance to Ukraine from the United States-its most important ally-was in jeopardy because of the disagreement between the democratic and republican parties in the United States. Congress can not agree on the allocation of new packets of assistance to Kyiv.

According to the Pentagon, since the beginning of a full -scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Washington allocated Kiev military aid worth about $ 44 billion. Another 27 billion were spent on the replacement of weapons, which were transferred to the Armed Forces from American arsenals.

The Ukrainian authorities and the military, encountered during the counterattack with the serious resistance of the Russian troops, ask partners to allocate additional assistance as soon as possible, before the end of 2023.

US President Joe Biden in October asked Congress to approve the allocation of $ 106 billion for safety, including 61.4 billion to help Ukraine and 14.3 billion to help Israel. The House of Representatives, which is under the control of the Republicans,approved the bill on the allocation of money to Israel, but without the help of Ukraine. After that, the Democrats blocked this document in the Senate, where they retain the majority.

On December 6, the Senate is planned for the next round of voting, where the bill on extraordinary costs for national security in the amount of $ 110.5 billion will be considered. It contains the same 60 billion dollars of help from Kyiv.

On the eve of the Senate, as part of long negotiations of the Democrats and Republicans on the budget, a closed briefing was held with the participation of military and representatives of the Biden administration. It was assumed that the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will speak on the video from the video. However, his performance broke in the last minute.

The Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Oksana Markarova said that Zelensky canceled the performance before American senators due to the fact that not only issues related to Ukraine were discussing at a briefing. “Nothing catastrophic actually happened ... There was an idea to take part in one of several briefings, if it were possible to join ... However, precisely because they discussed not only Ukraine issues, but also internal issues, we did not participate today,” European Pravda quoted her.

The Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umarov, in turn, claims that Zelensky could not perform at a briefing because of the war. “This is a war, the situation is changing. But, I think, Zelensky is grateful and will do this when it will be possible the next time, ”he said on Fox News.

The briefing itself, according to the US press, grew into a skirmish of senators about security on the southern borders of the United States.

According to The New York Times, the Republicans insist on tightening immigration policy on the border with Mexico - and without considering this point they threaten to block the bill on military assistance to Ukraine.

Some of the Republicans ahead of schedule left the briefing, outraged by the fact that the Biden administration ignored their questions about the security of the borders, and representatives of border services were not even announced among the meeting participants.

“They want to allocate tens of billions of dollars to the aid of our friends and allies abroad, but do not want to do everything necessary in order to prevent a potential crisis on the border. The Biden administration, it seems, is simply not worried, ”said John Cornin, a republican senator from Texas.

The leader of the democratic majority in the Senate Chuck Schumer told CNN that the briefing was “immediately captured” by the Republicans, when his opponent, the leader of the minority of Mitch McConnell, asked his colleague from the Oklahoma James Lancford to make a five -minute report on the border instead of asking questions about Ukraine. In addition, the Senator Republican from Arkansas Tom Cotton "showed disrespect and began to scream at one of the generals, asking him why they did not go to the border." Next, some Republicans began to defiantly leave the briefing, calling it a waste of time.

One of the main budget negotiators, the Senator-Democrat from Connecticut Christopher S. Murphy, leaving the briefing, told the press: “We are approaching to abandon Ukraine. When Vladimir Putin enters the NATO country, they [Republicans] will regret that day when they decided to play a policy of the future security of Ukraine. ”

“If the financing of Ukraine fails, then exclusively the Republican Party will be to blame,” Schumer added.

According to The Washington Post, the leader of the democrats in the Senate said that in any case he would conduct a procedural vote under the bill on December 6. He also proposed to the Republicans, if they agree to the vote, to independently develop an amendment to the bill regarding the safety of the southern borders.

The US presidential administration warned that the money and time to support Ukraine would end soon. “The inability to support Ukraine is just complete madness. This contradicts the interests of the United States, ”Joe Biden said, commenting on the delay in the adoption of the bill. However, the president promised that the document would be adopted.

As Nyt adds, some representatives of the Pentagon opposed the statements of the White House that military assistance to Ukraine would end soon. In their opinion, the remaining 4.8 billion dollars will be enough for Ukraine for the whole winter.

Meanwhile, in the United States there is a representative Ukrainian delegation consisting of the head of the office of the President Andrei Ermak, the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk and the Minister of Defense Rustem Umarov.

Officials have already held a number of negotiations with the congressmen, emphasizing the importance of the speedy adoption of a budget request for the financing of additional expenses for the aid of Ukraine, "which is vital to continue the liberation of our lands from Russian invaders."

“We appreciate that both US parties - republican and democratic - are united in the support of Ukraine. Two -party support is our main value, and we are counting on its preservation, ” said the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.

Speaking at the Institute of the World in Washington, Ermak called directly: "If the help that is now being discussed in the Congress will be postponed, this will create a great risk of losing the war."