Joe Biden of the United States will receive Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Tuesday (December 12). The U.S. is ramping up efforts to push Congress to approve additional aid to Ukraine to help with Ukraine's defensive war against Russia.
The White House said in a statement on Sunday (Dec. 10) that the purpose of the visit was to "underscore the United States' unwavering support for the Ukrainian people in their defense against Russia's brutal invasion." Zelenskyy's office confirmed that he had accepted Biden's invitation. He was also invited to address all senators. Biden has asked Congress for a $110 billion wartime funding package for Ukraine and Israel, as well as other priorities, including $61.4 billion for Ukraine. But on Wednesday (December 6), Republicans in the US Senate blocked the legislation, saying that the United States needs to make major reforms to border security. Some Republicans are demanding the immediate deportation of illegal immigrants, depriving them of the opportunity to seek asylum in the United States. They also called for a drastic curtailment of Biden**'s plans, which allow hundreds of thousands of immigrants to enter the United States legally. 
Less than a week before the U.S. Congress is about to adjourn, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed grave concern about the inability of the United States to provide timely assistance to Ukraine as winter approaches. Blinken said on ABC's "This Week" program on Sunday that U.S. funding for Ukraine's war against Russia was running out. He called on Congress to act on additional funding for Ukraine. Blinken said in an interview: "We need to approve the supplementary budget request as soon as possible. He stressed that Ukraine has done an "extraordinary job" in the fight against Russian aggression, recovering 50% of its territory over the past year. Blinken also noted that 90% of the money spent on aid to Ukraine is invested in the United States. "In terms of the production of materials, ammunition and ** supplied to the Ukrainians, these funds are in the United States," he said. Meanwhile, Russian Prime Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Sunday that the West is trying to exhaust Russia's forces over Ukraine and that any peace talks must be initiated by Kyiv. Speaking about the war, Lavrov said: "Ukrainians should recognize how deep they are in the predicament that the Americans have put them in. Asked how likely it is to achieve a ceasefire or peace through diplomatic means, he said: "You have to call Mr. Zelensky because a year and a half ago he signed a decree prohibiting any negotiations with [Russian Vladimir] Putin." ”
Meanwhile, Hungarian truckers on Monday planned to block Hungary's main border crossing with Ukraine in order for Ukrainian carriers to bring cheaper products into EU countries and harm locals. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian truck drivers have been granted permission to enter the EU, exempting truck drivers across Eastern Europe from requests to limit the number of Ukrainian trucks entering the EU. Tivadar Arvay, secretary general of the Hungarian Road Transport Association, told state news agency MTI: "We have asked the EU to ......Review the agreements signed with Ukraine and take into account the interests of EU carriers, including Hungary. Polish trucks on the Polish-Ukrainian border have been stranded for kilometers due to Polish truckers blocking roads leading to three border crossings. Ukraine's state railways said on Sunday that Ukraine had successfully bypassed the blockade by Polish truckers to transport the first buses to Poland by rail. Ukrainian authorities said about 3,500 trucks were blocked on the Polish side of the Polish-Ukrainian border as of Sunday morning. So far, the authorities have not reached an agreement with the **, who, like their Hungarian counterparts, are also seeking to prevent Ukrainian truck drivers from entering the EU without a permit.