Zelensky arrives on Capitol Hill to save $61 BILLION American aid package: Ukrainian leader meets Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell – as House Republicans insist they want more for the border before they approve more cash to Kyiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for “life-or-death” help to continue his country’s fight with Russia, telling senators at a closed briefing that his citizens would resort to “guerrilla warfare” if necessary and support would dry up.

The president met with Senate leaders, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and briefed all senators, taking an extraordinary lobbying step as support for the Biden administration’s policy to bolster Ukraine’s defenses wanes.

“The President did mention at one point about partisan warfare if he doesn’t get that kind of support—if it degrades (to) that point,” Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson told a group of reporters after the meeting.

“What I mean is that Putin will have to face a long-term guerrilla war in any part of Ukraine that you occupy and which may not be particularly attractive to him,” he said.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky (center) walks with US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (right) and US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (left). He met with senators and House Speaker Mike Johnson to ask for continued U.S. support.

Biden has proposed a $61 billion aid package, but Republicans in the House and Senate have rallied around demands for changes to border policy. They note that Biden included border control requests in his request for additional emergency funds.

“I know that everyone wants Ukraine to win. I just don’t see it in the cards,” Johnson said in some of the more pessimistic comments to come out of the meeting. “No matter how evil (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is, no matter how broken Ukraine is, you have to look at the reality of the situation. Ukraine cannot do what it needs to do to bring Russia to its knees,” he said.

He said that if lawmakers “really think this is such an important moment in history and so vital to providing Ukraine with $61 billion in aid, they should look at the clear and present danger of our unsecured or open border and fix it.” We’ll be doing them a huge political favor just by getting them to do it.”

“It amazes me that they don’t understand how dangerous it is for America to have an open border and, frankly, what a political liability it represents. There needs to be a deal done here,” he added.

These two issues are now firmly linked. “There will be no help for Ukraine unless we have a border agreement,” said Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), calling on pro-Ukraine Democrats to “speak out in the strongest possible terms” on the border agreement.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who has been a supporter of Ukraine support, was more optimistic but also issued his own call for help at the border.

“I mean, they’re not losing the war. With our help, they will succeed,” he said. “I told President Zelensky that I have never been more worried about 9/11 than I am now. The FBI director warned us that we had a lethal combination.”

Zelensky told senators that Ukrainians will wage a guerrilla war against Russia if they have to and if large-scale US support ends

He said that “a rogue gallery of terrorist groups wants to hit America because we are helping Israel and he is concerned about the status of the border.”

“We’re miles apart,” Graham said. “The only reason we don’t have an agreement is because they refuse to make policy changes that will give control of the border.”

Graham said the Ukrainians are not giving up. “They will fight to the last man. This will last for decades,” he said.

Grassley also referred to guerrilla warfare when DailyMail.com asked him about the worst-case scenario for Ukraine if US support dries up.

“Instead of people on the front line fighting, Ukrainians will fight a guerrilla war.”

“Of course it’s not good,” he said, questioning the potential outcome.

President Biden has expressed a willingness to reach an agreement with Republicans on border funding, but Republicans say the administration will not give up on their pursuit of policy victories. The Biden administration says the supplies the US can supply to Ukraine are running low.

“The day we get these policy changes. We’ll get a good number of votes in the Senate, and I think a fair number of votes in the House of Representatives,” Graham predicted.

As for the Ukrainians, “they will fight forever, but they need not only money and the help that we are going to give them.” They need more weapons, longer range weapons,” he said.

Zelensky, who has asked for help in foreign capitals around the world, continues to make urgent requests.

“For Ukraine, this is a matter of life and death,” a senior adviser told the Washington Post, describing his speech. “Time is of the essence: that’s the point.”

Retiring Sen. Joe Manchin (D-Va.) said he believes the administration understands that “policy changes are needed” in border policy. And he said Congress should stay in town until the Ukraine and border issue was resolved.

“I don’t think we should leave until we get this,” he said.