On the 11th local time, Ukraine**Zelensky said on social media that he began an official working visit to the United States on the same day. He met with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Brown to discuss challenges to global security, developments on the Russia-Ukraine front, and further cooperation between Ukraine and the United States in the field of defense.
The Financial Times said today that the funds provided by the United States for Ukraine's defense against Russia will expire at the end of this month. This is a critical moment in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and although the Kyiv army performed better than expected in the early stages of the conflict and regained some lost ground with the help of Western military assistance, Ukraine's ** has stalled in recent months.
Despite Biden's demand that the U.S. provide more than $60 billion in additional funding to Ukraine to continue the fight, Republicans rejected the request and demanded strict new restrictions on immigration at the U.S. southern border in exchange for the passage of the spending bill.
Since no simple agreement has been reached and no additional funding has been approved, the Pentagon has begun to limit aid to Ukraine, warning that it could stop it altogether by the end of the year.
Zelenskyy told a number of participants, including U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, that "everyone here understands what it means for soldiers to wait for ammunition: wait for weeks, months, and don't know if they can wait for support." "Every one of you who has experience in command knows what it means, and when your enemy is satisfied and ready to attack, you just watch, waiting for tanks or equipment, and not advancing," he said. ”
Austin said Washington remains determined to help Kyiv "deter further Russian aggression – including aggression against our NATO allies" and said the U.S. "will not back down in defending freedom."
Even so, Zelensky's plea may fall through, as some Republicans allied with former Trump and opposed aid to Ukraine will do their best to oppose it.
Senator J.D. Vance, Republican of Ohio, said he was "offended" by Zelenskyy's trip to Washington this week that the role of the United States is not to give money to every beggar who enters our country.
He's here to pester and intimidate Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Republicans into abandoning our negotiations on border security in order to write him another blank check ......This is not a visit from Churchill during World War II," Vance added.
Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet House Speaker Johnson, Republican, and Senate Republican Mitch McConnell on Tuesday morning. "When it comes to maintaining the security of the United States, border security is not a decoration. This is the starting point," McConnell said Monday.
"Now is the right time to bring Zelenskyy to the White House for a discussion, because of what's happening in Ukraine, we're seeing increased activity of the Russian Armed Forces as winter approaches, and what's happening on Capitol Hill," said John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the White House Committee. ”
On Monday afternoon, Zelenskyy was backed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which said it would pay another $900 million under its Ukraine plan. So far this year, the ** has disbursed $4.5 billion in loans under a $15.6 billion relief package.
G**in Gray, head of the IMF delegation, said that Ukraine's economic growth this year has been better than expected, reaching 45%。He praised Kyiv's performance as "strong, despite the extremely challenging war environment". IMF**, the country's economic growth will be between 3% and 4% by 2024. He added that it was vital that the country's donors continue to provide funding "as promised, in a timely and timely manner." "Without these resources, it will be difficult to sustain the hard-won gains in macroeconomic and financial stability. ”
*: CCTV News, Financial Times