Zelensky arrives in Capitol to secure another round of funding from Biden
Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reached Capitol Hill on Tuesday (Dec 12) morning to meet the members of the Congress and newly minted House Speaker Mike Johnson before meeting President Joe Biden at the White House to discuss critical aid that his troops need in the war against Russia.
This is Zelensky's third visit to the US but unlike the maiden trip last year when he was serenaded by both houses and sent backwith a $50 billion cheque, it looks highly unlikely that he will receive a similar treatment this time.
The Republicans, ahead of the crucial presidential election, have put their foot down and are refusing to send additional weapons and other aid unless it is paired with a crackdown on migration from the south of the border (Mexico).
With winter already here, Moscow is expected to ramp up its attack on civilian and energy infrastructure in Ukraine. Zelensky is worried that the aid faucet may run dry and thus another round of funding is required to continue the war, which has already been going on for over 21 months.
Zelensky's previous meeting with Biden
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Notably, Zelenskymet Biden in September and after much back and forth, managed to walk away with another tranche of aid package from Washington. However, his demand to address the joint session of the US Congress was shot down without giving any major clarification.
Despite the refusal, Biden formally announced a military aid package worth $325 million that included air defence systems and the second tranche of cluster munitions fired by a 155-millimeter Howitzer cannon. Additionally, the US delivered US M1 Abrams tanks to Kyiv to bolster its counteroffensive against the Russians.
Watch |Russia-Ukraine war: Can Zelensky stop the Russian assault
The counteroffensive, launched byUkraine under Zelensky earlier this year, has made little to no inroads. His visit to Washington is an attempt to regroup and secure military funding for another round of defence.
In recent days, Moscow has tried to intensify the assaults by using a record number of drones, according to Kyiv. Moreover, Putin has hinted towards a major change in strategy as he signed a decree that allows the army to boost its troop numbers by 15 per cent.
According to estimates, the move is expected to increase the number of serving army soldiers by at least 170,000, which is being touted as an"adequate" response to the "aggressive activity of the NATO bloc".
(With inputs from agencies)