Ukraine war: Biden says Putin ‘banking’ on US failure as Zelensky seeks aid
- President Joe Biden says US must stand firm with Ukraine as domestic divisions stall continued military aid
- Volodymyr Zelensky’s meeting with a top US lawmaker concluded without a commitment for more support
US President Joe Biden warned that Russia was banking on the United States abandoning Ukraine, as he promised President Volodymyr Zelensky he would support Kyiv despite Republicans blocking new military aid.
Standing alongside Biden at a press conference at the White House on Tuesday, Zelensky pledged for his part that Ukraine would keep fighting and said it would be “insane” for Kyiv to give up any territory to secure a peace deal.
Russian President Vladimir Putin “is banking on the United States failing to deliver for Ukraine. We must, we must, we must prove him wrong,” said Biden. He said letting Ukraine lose would embolden Putin “and would-be aggressors everywhere”.
Biden stressed that he would “not walk away from Ukraine”, adding that the United States would “continue to supply Ukraine with critical weapons and equipment as long as we can”.
But just how long the Biden administration can keep doing so is under question. Republicans in Congress refuse to pass US$60 billion in fresh Ukraine aid if Democrats don’t agree to major immigration reforms.
