White House to brief senators on Ukraine aid as war continues through winter
Katherine Doyle
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President Joe Biden’s national security adviser is set to brief top senators on Capitol Hill on the need for new U.S. aid to Ukraine as Russian forces continue the war.
The Biden administration has asked Congress to provide an additional $37.7 billion in emergency support for Ukraine heading into the winter, with National Security Council spokesman John Kirby saying the United States believes the military operations will continue over the coming months.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan will meet with Senate leaders on Wednesday, Kirby said.
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The lawmakers expected to attend the briefing include Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the Democratic and Republican leaders of the committees on Armed Services, Foreign Relations, Intelligence, and Appropriations, and the head of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, according to Punchbowl News.
The White House has warned of potential opposition to new funding from Republican members, some of whom have called for more auditing of the assistance.
Asked about the Biden administration’s concerns, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday said the U.S. and its partners would “continue to provide Ukraine with what it needs to defend itself, including defense [systems].”
“We have been very clear we are going to stand with the people of Ukraine as they bravely fight for their freedom and their democracy,” Jean-Pierre said.
The U.S. has approved $32 billion in assistance to Ukraine so far, she said.
Sullivan spoke with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine about U.S. support, Zelensky’s chief of staff said in a readout posted to Twitter on Wednesday. Andriy Yermak said Zelensky and Sullivan also discussed the war’s front-line operations.
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The U.S. this week announced a $53 million infusion to help restore the country’s power grid after weeks of deliberate Russian strikes targeting critical infrastructure. Kirby told reporters Wednesday that Russia shows no signs of slowing its attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.