President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to receive a warm welcome from President Biden as he arrives in Washington to make a compelling case for sustained U.S. support for Ukraine. However, the road to garnering Republican support in Congress may prove more challenging.
Zelensky’s visit to Washington comes as an urgent follow-up to his appearance at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. His primary objective is to persuade Congress to approve additional assistance for Ukraine, which is crucial for averting a government shutdown at the end of the month.
“The aim is to move the needle,” says Andrew D’Anieri, a resident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, with hopes of winning over Ukraine skeptics in Congress and addressing any concerns lawmakers may have about Kyiv’s progress on the battlefield.
The White House has requested Congress to greenlight $24 billion in new aid for Ukraine as part of a short-term spending package to extend federal government funding beyond September 30. The Biden administration has already allocated over $40 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
However, a group of conservative and moderate House Republicans has proposed an alternative one-month spending bill that excludes new aid for Kyiv. While this proposal caused division among House Republicans and led to the cancellation of a vote, it is widely anticipated that Congress will ultimately approve more funding for Ukraine, although the final amount remains uncertain.
This opposing stance between House Republicans and the White House, along with Democrats in Congress, raises the possibility of Ukraine becoming a significant sticking point in shutdown negotiations. A failure to reach a deal would result in the third government shutdown in five years.
Democrats have criticized Republicans this week for not being more proactive in supporting Ukraine. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned the Republican proposal, stating that he could not think of a “worse welcome” for Zelensky. Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois emphasized that backing Ukraine was essential in countering Russian aggression in Europe.
Public polls show that most Americans support Ukraine, although Republican support has waned over time. On the 2024 campaign trail, figures like former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have questioned the U.S. involvement in the conflict. In Congress, numerous Republicans have voted to reduce or eliminate military aid to Ukraine this year.
Ahead of Zelensky’s visit to Washington, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy expressed his intention to inquire about how American aid was being utilized and seek clarity on Ukraine’s “plan for victory.”
For President Zelensky, the growing skepticism he faces from Republicans marks a significant change from his first trip to the U.S. as president last December when his speech to a joint session of Congress garnered overwhelming support. Now, nine months later, the political landscape in Washington reflects heightened tensions as both parties gear up for a divisive election season.
The mounting opposition among Republicans to President Biden’s Ukraine policy underscores a shift from past bipartisan agreements on countering Russia, as observed by Michael David-Fox, the director of the Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies at Georgetown University.