Washington: President Joe Biden warned on Tuesday that Russia was celebrating American division over providing aid to Ukraine, as Ukrainian President Zelenskyy hit a wall of resistance from congressional Republicans during a daylong lobbying blitz in Washington.
Speaking from the White House with Zelenskyy by his side, Biden said failing to support Ukraine would be a gift to Russian President Putin.”Putin is banking on the US failing to deliver for Ukraine. We must, we must, we must prove him wrong,” Biden said. Republican leaders in Congress have insisted that any aid for Ukraine be paired with tighter security at the southern border, arguing that the migrant crisis had become a threat to national security.
Biden accused Republicans of holding aid to Ukraine “hostage” in exchange for “an extreme Republican partisan agenda on the border.” He cited the comments of Russian broadcasters praising Republicans for refusing to approve the Ukraine assistance.