American President Joe Biden warned on Wednesday, December 6, during a very solemn speech that refusing new aid to Ukraine would be “the greatest gift” offered to Russian President Vladimir Putin. This was not enough to convince the Republican opposition in Congress to release a package of more than $106 billion (€98 billion), including funds for Ukraine and Israel.
Conservative elected officials, although many still support Ukraine in public, condition the vote for this aid on a clear tightening of American migration policy.
This is a significant setback for Joe Biden, who had affirmed a few hours earlier that if the Russian president managed to seize Ukraine, he “won’t stop there.” The Democrat clearly raised the hypothesis of a Russian attack against a NATO member country, which would trigger the United States’ entry into the war and therefore “American soldiers fighting Russian soldiers.” A situation which does not currently exist and which Washington does not want, he insisted.
The United States is currently the country providing the largest military support to Kyiv. Congress has committed more than $110 billion since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. But Joe Biden’s promise to continue financial support to Ukraine is in serious jeopardy, a doomsday scenario for Kiev, whose counteroffensive in the summer did not bring the hoped-for territorial gains.
Negotiations continue
Ukrainian officials insist that they need more weapons to prevent Russian strikes from plunging millions of people into darkness this winter, like last year.
The Democratic president said he was ready on Wednesday to make “significant compromises” on his migration policy in order to obtain support from both chambers on Capitol Hill. Elected officials from the “Grand Old Party” (GOP) denounce migrant crossings at the Mexican border. Negotiations continue.
Unlike most of his Democratic peers, Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, a self-proclaimed socialist, voted against the package put to a vote Wednesday, expressing “deep concerns” about sending funds to the “government far-right” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Without waiting for the outcome of the discussions in Congress, Washington announced on Wednesday new military aid to kyiv – for a limited amount of $175 million – drawn from the executive’s reserves. It includes air defense equipment, missiles and artillery ammunition.
Appel de Volodymyr Zelensky au G7
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was to address members of the United States Congress by videoconference on Tuesday, but canceled his intervention at the last minute, finally intervened during a teleconference between the leaders of the G7 countries . Vladimir Putin is counting on the “collapse” of Western support for Ukraine, he said, admitting that the Russian army had “significantly increased pressure” on the front.
“Russia only hopes for one thing: that the unity of the free world collapses next year. Russia believes that America and Europe will show weakness and will not maintain their support for Ukraine at the appropriate level,” the Ukrainian president said.