Biden meets with Zelensky, warns no U.S. aid to Ukraine would be Putin 'Christmas gift'

Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with President Joe Biden at the White House on Tuesday to push for more aid to Ukraine, as the president urged Congress to pass a comprehensive Ukraine-Israel aid package, adding that anything less would be Russian President Vladimir Putin's "greatest Christmas gift."

"Congress needs to pass supplemental funding for Ukraine before they break for the holiday recess, before they give Putin the greatest Christmas gift they could possibly give him," Biden said during his meeting with Zelensky in the Oval Office, where he also announced an additional $200 million in drawdown funds for Ukraine.

"We'll continue to supply Ukraine with critical weapons and equipment as long as we can; including $200 million I just approved today."

After their meeting, Zelensky and Biden held a joint news conference where both leaders again detailed Ukraine's successes since Russia invaded the country nearly two years ago while calling for more aid to finish the job.

"Ukraine will emerge from this war proud, free and firmly rooted in the West, unless we walk away," Biden warned, as he appealed to Congress to pass more aid to Ukraine in exchange for what he called a compromise on the U.S.-Mexico border.

"We also need to make changes to fix the broken immigration system here at home," Biden said in a direct appeal to Republicans. "Compromise is how democracy works," he said. "Holding Ukraine funding hostage in an attempt to force through an extreme, Republican, partisan agenda is not how it works."

"Without supplemental funding, we're rapidly coming to an end of our ability to help Ukraine respond in the urgent operational demands that it has," Biden warned. "Putin is banking on the United States failing to deliver for Ukraine. We must, we must, we must prove him wrong."

Biden also called on Congress to help fund Israel's war in Gaza, as "America stands against tyranny and against oppression," before Zelensky took a turn to thank President Biden and express his gratitude to Americans for their support in Ukraine.

"In Ukraine we are fighting for freedom in our country and in Europe," Zelensky said. "For nearly two years, we've been in a full scale war."

"We've already made significant progress. And we've freed 50% of the territories Russia occupied since the war began," he touted, before adding that Ukraine still needs help with supplies and equipment, especially in the air.

"Who controls the skies, controls the war's duration," Zelensky said. "Together Ukraine and America can strengthen the war's arsenal."

"Ukraine has fulfilled all of the recommendations of the European Commission. American leadership is crucial to keep the unity together for the entire free world," Zelensky said before setting his goals on 2024 to "take away Russian superiority and disrupt its offensive operations."

"Today's discussions in the White House and with Congress were very productive. I thank you again for the bipartisan support," Zelensky said as he concluded his statement. "We dream of a Christmas during peace time."

Republicans, who met earlier Tuesday with Zelensky, continued to hold firm to their stance against advancing more aid to Ukraine without addressing their concerns about the U.S. border.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he still needed, "clarity on what we're doing in Ukraine," and "transformative change at the border," after meeting with Zelensky.

"Thus far we've gotten neither," Johnson said.

Before arriving at the White House, Zelensky held discussions with House and Senate leaders in an urgent plea for more aid in the country's war against Russia. He attended an all-senators meeting, as well as other talks on Capitol Hill to put pressure on lawmakers to fast-track additional aid to Kyiv, which would serve to safeguard democracy in Eastern Europe.

Sen. Mitch McConnell said he has been a "staunch supporter of Ukraine" since the beginning of Russia's invasion in 2014. But he didn't back down on tying support for Ukraine to changes in border policy.

"We know that our border, just like Ukraine's borders and Israel's and Taiwan's, must be inviolable," McConnell said. "That's why for months now, we've supported supplemental action on all four of the most pressing national security challenges we face."

Sen. Lindsey Graham shared similar sentiments, emphasizing widespread resistance to Ukrainian aid among Republicans.

He told reporters he urged Zelensky "to thank Mike Johnson for being willing to pass a package if border security's in it, because half his conference probably doesn't agree with that."

President Biden started the day at a campaign event in Washington at 11:45 a.m., before returning to the White House ahead of a scheduled two-hour sit-down with Zelensky at 2:15 p.m.

In his meetings with congressional leaders, Zelensky sought to ease concerns that Republicans may have regarding the allocation of U.S. funds and sought to avoid commenting on immigration issues that have entangled the latest aid with lawmakers, an adviser told The Washington Post.

While a majority of Republican and Democratic lawmakers initially backed aid for Ukraine following Russia's invasion, GOP support has turned sour as polls indicate conservative voters oppose more aid to Kyiv as the United States has already sent $44 billion in security assistance since the invasion in February 2022.

Graham told reporters that he told Zelensky, "my No. 1 obligation is to secure my country as well as help yours, and I feel that my country's border policies are an immediate threat to the safety of the American people."

In his meeting with Biden, Zelensky planned to discuss Ukraine's most urgent needs and the vital importance of continued U.S. support as it struggles to hold ground in the conflict, the White House said.

Zelensky's Washington visit comes more than a week after the White House sent a letter to Congress urging lawmakers to approve more funding for Ukraine to fight Russia as previously allocated aid would run out in less than a month.

However, it appeared unlikely that a bill would get passed before Congress went home for the holidays.

The House and Senate were also up against a Jan. 19 deadline to keep the government fully funded in a parallel budget battle that would pick back up after the winter break.

Zelensky's meeting with Biden will serve to "underscore the United States' unshakeable commitment to supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Russia's brutal invasion," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Sunday.

On Monday, Zelensky spoke at the National Defense University in Washington, telling global military personnel that Ukraine's prospects for victory were at stake and that withdrawing support for Ukraine would deliver a major victory to Russian President Vladimir Putin and other dictators.

He called on U.S. lawmakers not to "betray" Ukraine's besieged military as budget negotiations remained stalled on Capitol Hill amid resistance by hardline Republicans, preventing critical military aid and equipment from reaching Kyiv as Russia ramped up its missile and drone strikes.

"When the free world hesitates, that's when dictators celebrate," Zelensky said. "If there's anyone inspired by unresolved issues on Capitol Hill, it is just Putin and his sick clique."

"It's crucial that politics don't even try to betray the soldier," he said later in his remarks. "Just like weapons are needed for their defense, freedom always requires unity."

Zelensky also posted a message to X thanking U.S. weapons manufacturers that have supported the war effort.

"I met with leaders of U.S. defense companies and expressed my gratitude to every American worker who manufactures weapons that help us safeguard our people and defend our land," he wrote.

The aid bill Zelensky seeks remains in limbo after the Senate voted last week to reject a $111 billion package that included money for Ukraine.

The package also includes assistance for Indo-Pacific allies, humanitarian aid in Gaza, and funds to battle drug trafficking along the U.S. southern border, which Republican lawmakers have cited as the most important part.

Republicans continue to express concerns over a lack of adequate funding for border-related issues and have repeatedly said they will not support aid measures that don't include sufficient funding for border security and anti-trafficking measures in the United States.

Last week, Biden indicated he would be open to compromise on immigration if it would free up additional aid to Ukraine, while some Republicans are urging the president to play a more active role in the discussions.

Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., who is a key figure in potential border negotiations, said Republicans should have been invited to talks held over the weekend between the White House and congressional Democrats.

"We are not going to make any real progress on securing the border until everyone is at the table," Lankford said in a message posted to X.

Previously, the White House indicated that it was approaching the limit of military support that it could independently provide to Kyiv, which has been stretched thin to defend its territory against a near-daily bombardment.

"We absolutely need to get additional funding to support Ukraine going forward," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Monday.

This week's trip marked Zelensky's third to Washington during the war. He last visited in September.