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 aid from being sent to Ukraine.
He demanded that lawmakers approve his request for tens of billions of dollars in military and economic aid.
Republicans have said they are not prepared to support another large aid package unless the administration takes action on the southern border.
But Biden said Republicans gave Russian President Vladimir Putin a gift.
“This cannot wait,” he said in a televised address.
“Congress needs to pass additional funding for Ukraine before they break for the holidays, that’s all, frankly.”
President Joe Biden warned Wednesday that U.S. troops may have to fight Russian troops if Congress prevents further aid from being sent to Ukraine.
Ukrainian soldiers fire at Russian targets in Avdeevka, Ukraine, December 1.
His administration is warning of dire consequences for Kyiv if lawmakers don’t act to keep the flow of support flowing, and European allies are increasingly alarmed by the implications for democracy in their own backyard.
Biden highlighted the abuses committed by Putin and his troops in Ukraine and warned that Russia will not rest on its laurels.
“It’s important to take a long-term view here. He will keep going. He made that clear,” he said.
“If Putin attacks a NATO ally, if he keeps going and then attacks a NATO ally when we, as NATO members, are committed to defending every inch of NATO territory, then we will have something we are not looking for and something we will have we are not here today: American troops are fighting Russian troops.”
He accused Republicans of holding aid “hostage” at the border and ready to “pin” Ukrainian forces on the battlefield.
“Republicans in Congress are ready to give Putin the greatest gift he could ever hope for,” he said, adding that any delay in sending aid would strengthen the Russian president’s hand.
But he has hinted that he is willing to make a deal with Republicans, even if they have to admit they won’t get everything they want.
“It has to be a negotiation,” he said.
Biden’s speech came shortly after he held a video call with leaders of the Group of Seven advanced democracies, who all backed Ukraine, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky walks along the White House colonnade toward the Oval Office with Biden in September.
Speaker Mike Johnson has vowed that no funding for Ukraine will pass the House without “transformative” border security provisions as immigration talks stall in the Democratic-led Senate.
Ukrainian soldiers of the 42nd mechanized brigade dig trenches during field exercises in the Donetsk region on December 6.
The Ukrainian leader used the call to highlight the need for additional support.
“Russia believes that America and Europe will show weakness and will not maintain support for Ukraine at the proper level. “Putin believes that the free world will not fully comply with its own sanctions,” he said, according to a report of the conversation published on his website.
“It is vital for the free world to remain united, to remain engaged, to maintain the support of those whose freedom is under attack.”
Biden has asked Congress for more than $100 billion to fund the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, as well as other national security issues. But Republicans on Capitol Hill rejected the request, with some insisting that Biden take action to secure the country’s southern border first.
The White House has repeatedly warned about the consequences of refusing to support Ukraine.
In a direct letter sent to Congress on Monday, Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young wrote: “We do not have the money to support Ukraine in this fight. This is not a problem for next year. The time has come to help democratic Ukraine fight Russian aggression.
Biden spoke in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Wednesday.
“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.
“Funding for Ukraine is contingent on the passage of transformative changes to our nation’s border security laws,” he wrote in a letter to the White House on Tuesday.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron is due to arrive in Washington on Wednesday to convince US lawmakers of the importance of resisting Russian aggression.
“The UK and US are deeply connected by a shared mission to protect the values that provide security and prosperity for 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 can’t let them get the upper hand.”