Biden-Zelensky meeting in Washington: stopping aid would be a "Christmas present" to Putin, says US president
Steph Deschamps / December 12, 2023
The end of American aid to Ukraine would be a "Christmas present" to Vladimir Putin, warned President Joe Biden on Tuesday, alongside Volodymyr Zelensky.
We're going to stand by you", the American leader told his Ukrainian counterpart during a meeting in the Oval Office, at a time when Congress is stumbling over the financial extension requested by the White House for Kiev.
The United States is the largest provider of military support to Ukraine, with Congress committing over $110 billion since the Russian invasion in February 2022.
But Joe Biden's pledge of continued financial support for Ukraine is under threat from Congress. Last week, Congress blocked a large envelope of more than $106 billion, including funds for Ukraine and Israel, which President Biden had insisted on.
Ukrainian troops "prove every day that Ukraine can win" against Russia, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday, at the start of his meeting with his US counterpart Joe Biden in the Oval Office.
The Ukrainian president is received at the White House after visiting Congress, where Republican representatives are blocking an extension of US military aid.