On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden reassured leaders of allied countries that the US Congress will authorise military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine “for as long as it takes,” despite opposition from a few Republicans who blocked financing over the weekend.
Biden had a conference call with the leaders of Canada, Italy, Japan, and the UK, as well as the presidents of Poland and Romania. The German chancellor and French foreign minister joined the call, along with the heads of the European Commission, the European Council, and NATO.
Ukraine Aid to Continue
John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, stated that Biden reassured the leaders that “we cannot under any circumstances allow America’s support for Ukraine to be interrupted. Time is not our friend.” He warned that any gaps in American backing, “will make Putin believe he can wait us out.”
Despite Congress’ weekend approval of a 45-day stopgap financing package that did not include any additional help to Ukraine, Kirby said Biden made it clear that he was not expecting any halt in US aid to Ukraine.
Kirby added that the US has committed sufficient funding to handle Ukraine’s battlefield requirements “for a bit longer,” but it needs Congressional assistance to continue providing this support. He further indicated that the US had “a couple of months or so” of military supplies when asked for an exact timeline.
On Tuesday, Kirby dismissed the ongoing power battle among House Republicans. The president and other White House representatives, he claimed, had spoken with House Republicans at various levels and remained confident there was strong support for additional funds for Ukraine.
On a call with global leaders, including the prime ministers of Britain, Italy and Poland, and the leaders of NATO, the European Commission and the European Council, President #Biden said that he remained confident that Congress would approve aid for #Ukraine “for as long as it… pic.twitter.com/NnBE4LlqLW
— Bangladesh News 24 (@bdnews24) October 4, 2023
World Leaders Thank Biden
As per a readout of the conversation from the British PM’s office, Rishi Sunak “thanked President Biden for convening the call and for his, and the United States’, leadership in supporting Ukraine.”
According to a report of the German officials’ call, the conversations “centred on the firm conviction of all participants to support Ukraine.”
In Poland, President Andrzej Duda stated after the call that Biden had assured the group of US support for Ukraine and reiterated his confidence that the US Congress would not walk away.
Duda said, “President Joe Biden began with telling us about the situation in the U.S. and what is the real political situation around Ukraine. He assured us that there is backing for the continuing support for Ukraine, first of all for the military support. He said that he will get that backing in the Congress.”
According to a White House readout of the call, the group also discussed how to provide Ukraine with weapons support, strengthen its air defences, and shore up its energy infrastructure as the nation girds for a cold winter.
The readout indicates that the group further reviewed ongoing efforts to unite and widen donor contributions to help Ukraine’s economic recovery, as well as the international community’s cooperation to address the energy, economic, and food security concerns caused by Russian aggression in Ukraine.
Republicans Blocking Aid to Ukraine
US Congress averted a government shutdown over the weekend by passing a short-term financing bill, but the act cancelled all aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
Reports suggest that several lawmakers think securing legislative approval for providing help to Ukraine is becoming increasingly difficult as the violence continues and Republican hard-right opposition to the aid increases.
Republicans, led by Senator JD Vance and Texas Representative Chip Roy, wrote to Shalanda Young, director of the Office of Management and Budget, claiming that Americans “deserve to know” how additional funds to Ukraine are used.