Biden insists congressional leaders approve aid to Ukraine

Biden insists congressional leaders approve aid to Ukraine

US President Joe Biden called this Tuesday (27) on the leaders of the Democrats and Republicans in Congress to “urgently” agree to a military aid package for Ukraine.

Biden made these statements in the Oval Office of the White House, where he met with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House leader Hakeem Jeffries, as well as Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and the House leader , Mike Johnson, the latter with the greatest opposition to approving aid to Ukraine.

“Ukraine urgently needs help,” Biden told the press at the start of the meeting.

The president explained that the “consequences of daily inaction in Ukraine are terrible” and that some members of the G7 (Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Japan) have told him they are “very concerned” about the position of the USA.

Aid to Ukraine has stalled in Congress as Johnson refuses to bring to a vote a $95 billion aid bill for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan that passed this month with the support of a majority of Democrats and some was passed by the Senate by 20 Republicans, including their leader, McConnell.

Biden also called on congressional leaders to approve Israel's share of the aid so that the country can resupply Iron Dome air defense missiles to deter airstrikes by the Palestinian terror group Hamas.

However, Ukraine was the most contentious topic of the meeting, which took place behind closed doors.

Schumer later revealed in statements to reporters that the conversation was “one of the most intense” he has had in the Oval Office in his entire career.

Meanwhile, Johnson described the meeting as generally “frank and honest” but declined to reveal details of his strategy regarding the Ukraine aid package.

Johnson, who leads the Republican majority in the House of Representatives, reiterated his argument that voting on the Ukraine aid package requires first taking action to strengthen the border amid record arrivals of undocumented immigrants.

For months, Republicans made aid to Ukraine contingent on passing a law to strengthen the border and weaken the asylum system.