US aid to Ukraine hinges on Johnson

Biden reaffirms commitment to supporting Kyiv

WASHINGTON, Feb 18, (Agencies): When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with congressional leaders in Washington late last year he told them privately what is now public: With US weapons, they could win the war against Russia, but without them Russian President Vladimir Putin would be victorious.

In a subsequent meeting with new House Speaker Mike Johnson, a looming deadline for the supplies came into focus.

Now, with US aid for Ukraine teetering in Congress, it’s up to Johnson to decide what happens next.

The Republican’s leadership will determine whether the House will agree to approve more aid for Ukraine or allow the US commitment to wither, the end of the line for the embattled young democracy in Kyiv.

President Joe Biden said he told Zelenskyy in a Saturday phone call after Ukraine announced it was withdrawing troops from the eastern city of Avdiivka that he remained confident that the US funding would eventually come through. But asked in an exchange with reporters if he was confident whether a deal could be made before Ukraine loses more territory to Russian, Biden responded, “I’m not.”

“Look Ukrainians have fought so bravely,” he said. “There is so much on the line. The idea now when they are running out of ammunition that we’re going to walk away. I find it absurd.”

Zelenskyy said at a news conference with Vice President Kamala Harris in Germany that Ukraine was counting on a “positive decision” from Congress for the “vital” aid from its “strategic partner.” Earlier at a security conference in Munich, he warned of an “artificial deficit” of arms for his country.

Also:

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden called President Zelenskyy on Saturday to underscore the United

States’ commitment to continue supporting Ukraine ahead of the two year anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion.

This morning, Ukraine’s military was forced to withdraw from Avdiivka

after Ukrainian soldiers had to ration ammunition due to dwindling supplies as a result of congressional inaction, resulting in Russia’s first notable gains in months.

President Biden emphasized the need for Congress to urgently pass the national security supplemental funding bill to resupply Ukrainian forces, according to a White House statement.

MUNICH: A Republican opponent of new US funding for Ukraine argued at an international security conference Sunday that the package stuck in Congress wouldn’t “fundamentally change the reality” on the ground and

that Russia has an incentive to negotiate peace.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US Vice President Kamala Harris and others have advocated passage of the $60 billion in aid at the Munich Security Conference, which coincided with Ukraine withdrawing troops from the eastern city of Avdiivka after months of intense combat.

But Sen J.D. Vance, Ohio Republican and ally of Donald Trump, said “the problem in Ukraine … is that there’s no clear end point” and that the US doesn’t make enough weapons to support wars in eastern Europe, the Middle East and “potentially a contingency in East Asia.”