Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy struggled Tuesday to persuade
members of Congress to approve billions in further support to his
nation at a vital second within the practically two-year warfare with Russia.

However the outlook was grim as lawmakers remained deadlocked on one other
piece of a supplemental spending invoice below debate within the Senate that
would ship funds to Ukraine — main adjustments in immigration coverage on the
U.S.-Mexico border.

Zelenskyy huddled behind closed doorways within the morning with senators
earlier than assembly with Home Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican.
He was scheduled to journey to the White Home within the afternoon, the place he
will meet privately with President Joe Biden earlier than the 2 maintain a
joint press convention.

Zelenskyy urged lawmakers to approve further funding for the U.S.
Protection and State departments to ship army help to his
nation, which in flip will permit Ukrainian fighters to maintain Russian
President Vladimir Putin from shifting nearer to NATO international locations allied in
Europe and North America.

However Zelenskyy can not dealer a bipartisan settlement on U.S. border
coverage, the problem that’s actually holding up support to Ukraine in addition to
Israel and Taiwan. These talks continued Tuesday, although there isn’t
sufficient time to approve any settlement that may be reached earlier than
Congress leaves Thursday for a three-week winter break.

Senate leaders converse out

Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, mentioned
after the assembly that he deliberate to work so long as it takes to get an
settlement on U.S. border coverage to advance funding for Ukraine.

“Our Ukrainian buddies’ trigger is simply, and if the West continues to face with them, they’ll win,” McConnell mentioned.

Referring to Zelenskyy as “inspirational and decided,” McConnell
mentioned Ukraine’s army has “defied the world’s expectations” by holding
off Russia’s army in addition to Putin’s “aggressive, imperialist
aspirations.”

Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, mentioned
following the assembly that he would really like Congress to remain on the town previous
Thursday.

“Final night time, I bought on the telephone with Speaker Johnson and urged him to
hold the Home in session, to offer a supplemental an opportunity to come back
collectively,” Schumer mentioned.

“If Republicans are severe about getting one thing carried out on the
border then why are so lots of them in such a rush to depart for the
winter break?” Schumer added. “Has the border merely been an excuse to
kill funding for Ukraine?”

With out further army and humanitarian support, Schumer mentioned,
Russia’s possibilities of defeating the Ukrainian army would improve, a
situation that might signify “a historic and colossal tragedy.”

“If Russia is victorious, future generations will bear in mind this as a
second of disgrace for the West, for america and for these within the
Senate who sought to dam it,” Schumer mentioned. “This can be a second when a
good friend in want known as on our assist. We should rise to the event.”

Johnson mentioned in an announcement after his assembly with Zelenskyy that he
is supportive of Ukraine’s battle towards Russia, however that “our first
situation on any nationwide safety supplemental spending package deal is
about our personal nationwide safety first.”

“(W)e wanted a transformative change on the border,” Johnson mentioned.
“(T)hese are our situations as a result of these are the situations of the
American folks, and we’re resolute on that.”

White Home request

The Biden administration in October requested Congress to approve greater than $105 billion in emergency support to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and the U.S. border.

Senate Democrats launched a $110.5 billion spending package deal final week
that might have supplied funding for all 4 of these areas. However Republicans blocked the invoice from shifting ahead, insisting the laws embrace adjustments to immigration coverage.

These talks have been caught for weeks as a bipartisan group of senators tried to dealer an settlement.

The group — headed by Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy and Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford — have to date been unable to choose a deal that appeals to each conservatives and progressives.

Murphy mentioned Tuesday that negotiations on border safety “proceed to make progress.”

“We’ve made some proposals that, you understand, put us outdoors of our
Democratic consolation zone,” Murphy mentioned. “We’d like Republicans to stretch,
and in the event that they do, we will get there.”

He added that the White Home bought concerned in negotiations over the weekend.

“As we get nearer to an settlement, they need to be on the desk,” Murphy mentioned of the Biden administration.

Graham calls Murphy ‘very unhelpful’

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina mentioned he felt
Zelenskyy was being utilized by Democrats in negotiations about border
safety and that he disagrees that “Ukraine’s dropping the warfare.”

“Senator Murphy has been very unhelpful,” Graham mentioned, referring to
earlier feedback during which Murphy and Democrats accused Republicans of
holding support to Ukraine hostage if there aren’t any coverage adjustments to the
Southern border. “His angle about what’s occurring is off base — we’re
not holding the border hostage.”

Graham added he’s not assured that an settlement on border safety will be reached by Murphy.

“I’ve no confidence he’s ever going to get a deal we will stay with
as a result of he’s anxious about promoting it to the left,” Graham mentioned.

A serious sticking level for Democrats is the push from Republicans to
make adjustments to the asylum system that Democrats argue would set a
larger bar for asylum seekers for preliminary “credible worry of persecution”
screenings.

Graham mentioned he’s keen to work with Johnson on getting any deal by the GOP-led Home.

“(Johnson) will stand as much as the anti-Ukraine votes if you happen to give him
one thing to work with,” Graham mentioned. “I’ll assist him do this.”

Graham mentioned he informed Zelenskyy that Ukraine funding is in peril
due to the Biden administration’s border insurance policies. He added that
Zelenskyy has “carried out every little thing anyone might ask of you,” and that the
snag in border safety negotiations just isn’t

Ukraine’s downside.

“You didn’t make this downside,” Graham mentioned of Zelenskyy. “It’s going to
have an effect on you, in truth, the entire world. However (the Biden administration’s)
coverage selections matter.”

Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, the No. 3 Republican, mentioned that any
support to Ukraine is “not going to occur” except the Southern border is
addressed within the supplemental.

Within the emergency supplemental, Senate Democrats included
$1.42 billion for workers hires for immigration judges, resembling clerks,
attorneys and interpreters; $5.31 billion for U.S. Customs and Border
Safety to broaden border safety, resembling fentanyl detection; and
$2.35 billion for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for
operational prices, fentanyl detection and enforcement.

“There shall be no nationwide safety invoice … it needs to be addressed,” Barrasso mentioned of the border safety insurance policies.