President Joe Biden has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House as Biden continues to make a push for more aid to the country.
The White House extended an invite to Zelenskyy for a meeting Tuesday in an effort to emphasize the U.S.’s commitment to the country during its war with Russia, according to a Sunday statement from White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. While Congress has yet to approve more aid to Ukraine, the White House continues to warn the lawmakers that failing to do so will cause the country to run out of resources during its war with Russia. (RELATED: ‘Slaps You In The Face’: Biden Can’t Seem To Get Americans To Care About His Pet Issues, Strategists Say)
“President Biden has invited President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine to the White House for a meeting on Tuesday, December 12 to underscore the United States’ unshakeable commitment to supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Russia’s brutal invasion,” Jean-Pierre wrote in a statement. “As Russia ramps up its missile and drone strikes against Ukraine, the leaders will discuss Ukraine’s urgent needs and the vital importance of the United States’ continued support at this critical moment.”
U.S. President Joe Biden shakes hands with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy after a meeting in the East Room of the White House September 21, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Biden has requested that Congress pass a $106 billion supplemental package that would give more than $61 billion in emergency funding for Ukraine, $14.3 billion aid for Israel and $1.4 billion for state and local governments struggling to handle an influx of migrants. The aid for Ukraine continues to be held up in Congress as lawmakers debate how to attend to the border crisis.
The White House addressed leaders in the House and the Senate in a Dec. 4 letter, begging Congress to pass the aid package, though it made no mention of the border crisis. U.S. lawmakers criticized Biden’s original package, blasting the president for coupling Ukraine aid with funds for Israel and the border crisis.
Support among Americans to continue to fund Ukraine has become less popular. Forty-one percent of Americans said the U.S. is doing too much to help Ukraine, while only 25 percent said the U.S. is doing too little, according to a Gallup poll released in October. More than a year before, in August 2022, 38 percent of Americans felt the country was not doing enough while 24 percent of respondents said the U.S.’s support is “too much.”