Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday once more made the trek to Capitol Hill to convince U.S. lawmakers to maintain the monetary support that has been essential to Ukrainians’ ability to withstand and push back against the Russian invasion, but the legislative path to that aid looks much murkier than last time.
Zelenskyy’s previous visit last December, which included a well-received address to a joint meeting of Congress, was less fraught as lawmakers were then on the verge of clearing a nearly $45 billion aid request for Ukraine. But the intervening nine months have brought a change in House control, Republican infighting over spending as the fiscal year is ending, and more Republican opposition to aid to Kyiv.
“They need it and they’re going to get it. The majorities support this,” House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said to reporters after participating in a meeting with Zelenskyy and other GOP and Democratic House leaders. “We will get it done. There are a lot of political machinations right now, but I assure you we’re going to get it passed.”
