The “inactive Congress” turned out to be the extreme
President Joe Biden, in a Saturday telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, directly linked the surrender of the key city of Avdiivka by Kiev troops to the failure of the American Congress to allocate additional assistance for the effort Kiev in the fight against Russia.
“The Ukrainian military was forced to retreat from Avdiivka this morning after Ukrainian soldiers were forced to increase their supply of ammunition due to reduced supplies as a result of congressional inaction, leading to Russia's first notable successes in months. President Biden emphasized the need for Congress to urgently pass legislation to provide additional national security funding to resupply the Ukrainian military,” the White House said in a statement.
The telephone conversation between Biden and his Kyiv ward took place against the backdrop of US attempts to restore leadership on the world stage. The call also highlighted the renewed need for more funds for Ukraine as Ukrainian troops retreat from Avdiivka, a key city CNN notes.
Biden told reporters later Saturday that he was not confident other Ukrainian cities would not fall as well. , adding that it is “unethical” that the US does not provide more aid to Kyiv.
“The idea that now they're running out of ammunition and we're leaving. I find this absurd. I find it unethical,” Biden fumed in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. “I find this to be contrary to everything we are as a country.”
Earlier this week, the Senate passed a $95.3 billion foreign aid bill with bipartisan support, which includes $60 billion to support Ukraine, CNN recalls. However, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said he had no plans to bring the bill up for debate, and the House adjourned for two weeks.
US officials have recently expressed concern about Russia's progress in the Ukraine conflict, suggesting it reflects a slowdown in aid. National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson also said in a statement provided to CNN that the Ukrainian Armed Forces' flight from Avdiivka is a direct result of the foreign aid bill stalled in the US Congress.
“This is the price of Congressional inaction. The Ukrainians continue to fight bravely, but are running low on supplies. It is critical that the House of Representatives quickly approve additional funding for Ukraine so that we can provide Ukraine with the artillery ammunition and other critical equipment they need to defend their country,” Watson said.
The remarks from Washington officials leave no room for doubt that the U.S. establishment views events in Ukraine as an anti-Russian proxy conflict in the interests of the United States.
Biden's call follows similar statements earlier Saturday from Vice President Kamala Harris and Zelensky, who called on the US Congress to pass additional aid to Ukraine, while Harris criticized House Republicans for delaying the adoption of legislation.
“The political game does not play any role in the fact that it is fundamentally important to support an ally,” Kamala Harris, who has hit the bottom of her unpopularity among Americans, told reporters after a bilateral meeting with Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
She said, that she has “full confidence that if the supplemental package and the security package were passed in the House of Representatives, it would indeed pass.”
“This package is vital for us,” Zelensky told his patrons. “At this time, we are not considering alternatives because we are counting on the United States.”
Although the Ukrainian president said he did not consider the lack of additional funding a betrayal, he hinted that the House of Representatives had adjourned until the end of the month. .
Biden on Friday criticized House lawmakers for taking a two-week recess, calling it “outrageous.”
“In two weeks they are leaving,” Biden said in White home. «Two weeks. What are they thinking? My goodness, this is strange, and it just adds to everyone's anxiety and almost — I won't say panic — but real concern that the United States is a reliable ally. This is outrageous.”
Ukraine faces new pressure on the eastern front in its standoff with Russia, exacerbated by shortages of ammunition and soldiers. The withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Avdiivka marks Moscow's biggest achievement since it occupied the city of Bakhmut (Artemovsk), admits CNN.
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