Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky implored the U.S. to approve more military funding for his country on Sunday, April 7, 2024. He warned that Ukraine would “lose the war” without it. The President also predicted that if Ukraine falls, Russia will move to invade “other states” next.
Zelensky’s latest warning comes from Congress, which has refused to pass a package of aid for Ukraine for months. Republicans in Congress have held up further military assistance to the country. They point to over $100 billion the U.S. has already sent, leaving Kyiv to battle ammunition shortages.
The U.S. Senate passed a $95.3 billion foreign aid bill with assistance for Ukraine and Israel in February 2024. However, House Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to hold a vote on passing the package for Ukraine. In a video statement on Sunday, Zelensky pleaded with the Congress.
“It is necessary to tell Congress that if Congress does not help Ukraine,” he said, “Ukraine will lose the war.” Zelensky’s plea comes as Russia continues to launch waves of missile and drone attacks into Ukraine, killing civilians and soldiers.
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Ukrainian aid is caught up in a dispute between ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus members and Republicans. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., proposed a funding plan in March. However, Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., calls for balancing any funding with other spending cuts in Ukraine.
Good also said that they should pair it with U.S. border policy changes. “We cannot continue to borrow and spend money we don’t have for wars overseas,” Good told Fox News. “While failing to protect Americans from the Biden border invasion here at home.”
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“At a bare minimum, any package for military aid to Ukraine should be fully offset,” Good added. “And must include H.R. 2 with performance metrics to secure our own border.” When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, it thought it would take Kyiv in days.
However, the war has gone on for years, becoming disastrous for Russia. Ukraine defended the assault on its capital, reclaiming some of the territories overrun by Russia. However, the frontlines have stagnated, with Russia occupying Ukraine’s territory.
Despite optimism that Ukraine could reclaim more of its occupied territories, its attack in 2023 failed to break Russia’s defenses. Consequently, Ukraine’s then-Commander in Chief conceded the war had entered a “stalemate.”
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However, since the start of this year, Russia has enjoyed an upper hand due to its manpower and technology. It has attempted to seize the initiative, bombarding Ukraine’s cities with missiles and forcing Ukraine to retreat.
In his speech on Sunday, Zelensky warned that Russia will be more aggressive in the coming weeks. He noted that Russia would be “insistent on dragging nuclear weapons into the debate, threatening, playing with this matter.” In a separate post on X, he thanked UNITED24’s ambassadors for their support.
He thanked them for “continuing to draw U.S. attention to the Ukrainian people’s fight for freedom and independence.”
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