Joe Biden raises the specter of American troops having to fight Russians in Europe if Congress stands by and allows Ukraine to fall
President Joe Biden warned Wednesday that U.S. troops may have to fight Russian troops if Congress prevents further military aid from being sent to Ukraine.
He demanded that lawmakers approve his request for tens of billions in military and economic aid.
Republicans have said they are unwilling to accept another major aid package unless the administration takes action at the southern border.
Biden said Republicans presented Russian President Vladimir Putin with a gift.
“This cannot wait,” he said in a televised speech.
“Congress must approve additional funding for Ukraine before they withdraw from the holiday payments. It's that simple, honestly.'
President Joe Biden warned Wednesday that U.S. troops may have to fight Russian forces if Congress prevents further military aid from being sent to Ukraine
Ukrainian soldiers fire at Russian targets in Avdiivka, Ukraine, December 1
His government warns of dire consequences for Kiev if lawmakers do not act to keep aid flowing and European allies are increasingly concerned about the impact on democracy in their backyard.
Biden shrugged off abuses committed by Putin and his forces in Ukraine and warned that Russia has no intention of stopping there.
'It is important to look at the long term here. He will continue. He made that pretty clear,” he said.
“If Putin attacks a NATO ally, if he goes ahead and then attacks a NATO ally, if we as a NATO member have committed to defend every inch of NATO territory, then we have something that we are not looking for and that we don't have today: American troops fighting Russian troops.”
He accused Republicans of holding aid supplies across the border “hostage” and of being prepared to “kneecap” Ukrainian forces on the battlefield.
“Republicans in Congress are ready to give Putin the greatest gift he can hope for,” he said, adding that any delay in sending aid would strengthen the Russian president's position.
But he hinted that he was willing to make a deal with Republicans, even if they would have to accept that they wouldn't get everything they wanted.
“This has to be a negotiation,” he said.
Biden's speech came shortly after he held a video call with the leaders of the Group of Seven advanced democracies, all of whom have backed Ukraine, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky walks with Biden through the White House colonnade to the Oval Office in September
Speaker Mike Johnson pledged that no funding for Ukraine would pass the House of Representatives without 'transformative' border security provisions — as immigration talks in the Democratic-led Senate stall
Ukrainian soldiers of the 42nd Mechanized Brigade dig trenches during a military field exercise in the Donetsk region on December 6
The Ukrainian leader used the call to press the case for more support.
“Russia believes that America and Europe will show weakness and not maintain support for Ukraine at the appropriate level. Putin believes that the free world will not fully enforce its own sanctions,” he said, according to a report of the conversation posted on his website.
“The free world urgently needs consolidation, interaction and support for those whose freedom is under attack.”
Biden has asked Congress for more than $100 billion to fund conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, as well as other national security matters. However, Republicans on Capitol Hill have opposed the request, with some insisting that Biden first take steps to secure the country's southern border.
The White House has repeatedly warned of the consequences of not supporting Ukraine.
In a blunt letter sent to Congress on Monday, Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young wrote: “We have run out of money to support Ukraine in this fight. This is not a problem for next year. Now is the time to help a democratic Ukraine fight Russian aggression.
Biden delivered his remarks Wednesday in the Roosevelt Room of the White House
“It's time for Congress to act.”
However, Republican leaders quickly dug in.
Speaker Mike Johnson promised there would be no funding for Ukraine without “transformative” border security provisions.
“Ukraine's funding is conditioned on making transformative changes to our country's border security laws,” he wrote in a letter to the White House on Tuesday.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron arrives in Washington DC on Wednesday as part of an effort to convince US lawmakers of the importance of resisting Russian aggression.
“The UK and the US are deeply connected by a shared mission to defend the values that bring security and prosperity to us all,” he said.
'That is why we remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine. Allowing Putin's aggression to succeed will embolden those who challenge democracy and threaten our way of life. We cannot let them prevail.”