Far from the battlefield, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky This Thursday he immersed himself in Washington in a delicate and complicated mission fundamental to the future of the war that Russia launched in their country in February of last year. In its second trip to the capital of the United States Since the conflict began after a visit in December, Zelensky has once again received the support of the president, Joe Bidenwho received him for the third time at the White House and who announced another military aid package to kyivwhich will come from funds already appropriated by Congress and the US arsenal.
According to Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor, the package includes “significant air defense capabilities“, something that Zelensky had marked as a priority for this trip. But for now the White House It will still not provide you with long-range ATACM missiles. With this weaponry, which the Ukrainian leader has long demanded, Ukraine would have the capacity to reach Russia and Washington fears that Moscow will therefore consider it a provocation, but Sullivan has insisted that the possibility of facilitating it in the future remains “on the table”.
Despite the support he has once again obtained from Biden, Zelensky has also seen first-hand that the Democrat’s unwavering support is not widespread in the country and is erodesespecially between Republican politicians and voters. And the divisions among conservatives endanger the approval in Congress of the next item requested by Biden to allocate to kyiv: $24 billion.
Polarized Congress
After participating for two days in the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Zelensky landed in Washington after a night of a massive Russian missile attack on several cities in Ukraine that affected civilian infrastructure. He started the visit with meetings on Capitol Hill. And the first, with the leaders of the Lower House, Republican Kevin McCarthy and Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, showed the deterioration of his cause there.
McCarthy, whose party controls the House of Representatives, this time had refused Zelensky’s request to make a speech before congressmen and senators, something that he was able to do during the December visit at the invitation of Nancy Pelosi. She only organized a meeting with several representatives for this Thursday. And although in private, according to some present at the meeting, he has shown himself more willing to attend to Zelensky’s needs, asking him what do you need to win war, in public he keeps putting asterisks to continue approving aid packages.
“Where are the explanations for the money we have already spent? ¿What is the plan for victory? “That’s what Americans want to know,” McCarthy said a couple of days ago, tuned into surveys that show the rejection of more than 60% of Republican voters to continue sending aid to Ukraine and has also suggested that Biden should take charge of secure the US southern border before continuing to invest in kyiv.
McCarthy’s double face is partly explained by his weak position as speaker‘, given the power that he had to grant to the most radical wing of the formation to take office. That weakness is palpable in the threat of another potential operational shutdown of the government by failing to get votes to pass a spending proposal. And regarding Ukraine it was ratified this Thursday, when 23 congressmen and six senators of his party sent a letter to the White House criticizing Biden’s lack of definition about the strategy for Ukraine and aid that already exceeds 100 billion dollars. To give light to projects in his McCarthy Chamber he cannot afford to lose more than four votes.
For Zelensky it has been warmer reception in the Senate, controlled by Democrats and where Republican minority leader Mitch McConnell strongly supports the White House strategy of continuing to support Ukraine. In the Upper House, a closed-door meeting with the 100 senators. And there he has appealed to them to continue providing ammunition and financial support: “If we don’t get help we will lose the war”, he said
Zelensky later held a meeting in the Pentagon with the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin and has visited the memorial of the 9/11 attacks there before going to the meeting with Biden at the White House.
Lula and Wall Street
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It is the end of a diplomatic tour that in New York also served him, in addition to addressing the General Assembly and participating in a meeting of the Security Council, to maintain the first meeting in person with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The Brazilian president is one of the leaders of the global south who have refused to take part in the conflict and although the Relations between the two have been tense Until this Wednesday, the meeting served to “break the ice”. “The two now understand each other’s position much better,” explained the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, who described the situation as “warm and honest.” the conversation, after which Zelensky and Lula have promised to maintain contact.
Zelensky, whose words during the speech before the General Assembly have intensified the open crisis with Poland over the veto of food imports from Ukraine, also took advantage of his stay in New York to maintain meetings with Wall Street leaders and explore the use of private sector funds for reconstruction from Ukraine.