Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer mentioned on Monday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s third go to to Congress on Tuesday for the reason that Russian invasion “can be an important ever.”
“The warfare in Ukraine is at a crossroads as our associates desperately want American assist to maintain up the strain [Russian President] “Vladimir Putin,” the New York Democrat mentioned in a speech.
Zelensky will attend an all-party Senate assembly on Tuesday morning, talking privately with Home Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., throughout his current sweep of Congress.
The Ukrainian chief, who has been keeping off Russian forces since Putin’s February 2022 invasion, was anticipated to handle senators by way of video throughout what turned out to be a tense secret briefing final week on President Joe Biden’s emergency nationwide safety package deal with cash for Ukraine. Israel, the Indo-Pacific area, and the southern border of the US, however was compelled to withdraw as a consequence of technical difficulties.
Throughout his final go to to the Capitol in September, he advised senators that his nation would lose its warfare towards Russia with out further American assist.
With each chambers getting ready to go away Washington this week for the brand new yr, and with Senate negotiators nonetheless deadlocked on border provisions that might unleash GOP assist for Ukraine, Schumer urged his colleagues to “get critical.”
Schumer blamed Republicans for obstructing important assist “as a consequence of excessive, unrealistic calls for on the border” and warned that Putin would march by Ukraine and Europe if Senate Republicans “don’t present they’re critical about finalizing an settlement for a nationwide safety package deal.” “
“Republicans will give Vladimir Putin the perfect present he may ask for,” he warned.
Though negotiations continued all through the weekend and earlier Monday, Schumer mentioned there was no settlement but.
“However as an indication of fine religion, Democrats will hold making an attempt,” he added. If Republicans proceed to insist on Donald Trump’s border insurance policies, they are going to be incorrect when the help deal to Ukraine and Israel and humanitarian assist to Gaza collapse. Republicans have a duty to point out they’re prepared to reasonable.
Most Home Republicans have shied away from offering any unbiased assist to anybody, bundling weak assist to Israel with thousands and thousands in IRS cuts and demanding that Biden and Senate Democrats go a polarizing border package deal that hasn’t attracted a single Democratic vote within the different occasion. Room earlier than shifting to Ukraine.
He requested, “Why is nobody in Washington speaking a few peace treaty with Russia?” Conservative bombshell and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene requested on-line, writing Putin’s pledge that he “won’t pursue any extra invasions” is healthier than sending one other dime overseas.
Chip Roy, a member of the Home Freedom Caucus, mentioned contributing to Ukraine’s safety relatively than America’s is “non-negotiable.”
“If Republicans conform to fund Ukraine with out first forcing Biden to safe our harmful, disastrous, and unlawful border, voters (rightfully) won’t assist them,” the Texas Republican mentioned. books On social media.
This dismissive view has since unfold to Senate Republicans, the place many have objected to Ukraine advocate McConnell in favor of demanding broader trade-offs on immigration, and neither occasion seems prepared to concede.
The chief negotiators, Sens. James Lankford of Oklahoma and Chris Murphy of Connecticut, started tossing out commerce concepts, however now seem to don’t have anything productive to say to one another after weeks of bitter debate.
What started as bipartisan talks on border points has developed into accusations that either side are irrational and taking part in politics with actual lives — the lives of Ukrainians and People.
“For People, the quick menace of an insecure border is extra pressing than the long-term dangers of Russian advances in Ukraine,” mentioned Deb Fischer, Republican of Nebraska. I dug online Monday.
“Zelensky is right here to steer Senate Republicans to desert our negotiations on border safety in an effort to write him one other clean examine,” Republican J.D. Vance of Ohio mentioned just lately. Tell Trump aide Steve Bannon.
In the meantime, Sen. Mike Braun made clear that Senate Republicans see no purpose to desert their key 2024 marketing campaign difficulty in a current op-ed.
“Constructing a wall stays the perfect step we are able to take to safe our southern border,” the Indiana Republican mentioned, referring to Trump’s unfulfilled 2016 marketing campaign promise. “Republicans in Congress should stand robust on border safety as our prime precedence.” “