Vlodomyr Zelensky is in the United States for a last attempt to gain support and funds for Ukraine's fight against the Russian invasion. Accompanied by President Joe Biden, he will try to convince Congress, especially the Republican opposition, to allocate new funds to counter Russian aggression. There is a thing at stake international aid package from approximately 110 billion dollars of which 60 destined for Kiev. A difficult mission, with a high risk of failure.
Biden invited Zelensky to Washington “to underscore the United States' unwavering commitment to supporting the Ukrainian people as they defend themselves from Russia's brutal invasion.” The two leaders will speak "of Ukraine's urgent needs and the vital importance of continued US support at this critical time."
It is Zelensky's third visit to the United States since the start of the Russian invasion. The Ukrainian president arrived on Monday after attending theinauguration of the new president Javier Milei in Argentina.
Zelensky's mission began with a meeting with the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, who confirmed the US commitment to supporting Ukraine. And it happens at a delicate moment for Europe: this week the EU Council is convened to decide whether to start the procedures Ukraine's accession to the European Union as well as to address the issue of updating the Stability Pact.
The republican obstacle must be overcome
Although previously approved funds for Kiev will run out by the end of the year, i new financing is currently blocked from the Republican Party. For weeks, the Biden administration has been pushing Congress to pass a $111 billion security spending package, including military aid for Ukraine and Israel.
I Republicans opposed it firmly to the new aid, expressing skepticism about its effectiveness and relevance, instead asking for a new migration policy that blocks the entry of illegal migrants from Mexico rather than providing military support to distant countries.
Biden has repeatedly stressed the importance of preventing Putin from achieving victory in Ukraine. “We cannot leave the victory to Putin. If he takes Ukraine he won't stop there. And if he attacks a NATO country we will have American soldiers fighting Russian soldiers,” the American president said before the package is rejected in the Senate.
Zelensky in the meeting at the Congress will therefore try to overcome grievances republicans. Here he will have meetings with a bipartisan group of senators and with the Republican Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson.
Subsequently there will be themeeting between Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office of the White House, followed by a joint press conference at 16.15pm (22.15pm in Italy).
Zelensky: “Putin must lose, war against all of free Europe”
In a speech Monday at National Defense University In Washington, Zelensky stressed that politics should not betray Ukrainian soldiers and agreed with Biden by arguing that the fight has global implications.
“Russia's war against Ukraine is actually one war against all free Europe” said Zelensky in his speech adding that “Putin wants to divide Europe for the first time since the fall of the Berlin Wall. THE Delays on Capitol Hill are what Vladimir Putin wants. When the free world hesitates, that is when dictatorships celebrate and mature their most dangerous ambitions. Those delays make him believe that freedom and democracy are collapsing,” Zelensky said, claiming that Putin “is looking for allies abroad and also in the US, with disinformation,” but “Putin must lose” concluded the Ukrainian president.
Ukraine: 900 million from the IMF
During his visit to the United States, Ukrainian President Zelensky met with the director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, expressing gratitude for the decision of the Executive Council of IMF to allocate a tranche of 900 million dollars as part of an ongoing long-term loan.
Georgieva said she was proud of Ukraine's achievements despite the surrounding difficulties. Ukraine, she said, “has excellent indicators. We expect Ukraine's GDP growth to be 4,5% this year. In the third quarter of this year, GDP grew by 9,3% compared to the third quarter of 2022, which is simply incredible. Inflation fell sharply to 5,1% in November, a dream for many countries that are not at war.”
EU ready to support Kiev even without Orban
The European Union ambassadors met yesterday to discuss the 12nd package of sanctions. According to an EU diplomatic source, "very close to an agreement, one point remains difficult for some delegations, who will continue to negotiate in the next few hours. The objective is and remains to reach a consensus before the European Council."
The next European Council on 14-15 December will discuss the start of Ukraine's EU accession talks. The obstacle to overcome is the veto of Orban's Hungary upon entry into Kiev. With the new Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk instead of Mateusz Morawiecki, the Hungarian leader could theoretically be more isolated.
“It is necessary that theEU continues to support Ukraine, we need to work towards a common solution. If it is not possible to move forward at 27 then we will have to do so at 26 but support for Kiev cannot stop” said the president of the EPP Manfred weber during the press briefing, answering a question about the opposition of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
