Moscow is closely monitoring the meeting between US President Joe Biden and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Kremlin has expressed concerns about any further US aid to Ukraine, calling it a “fiasco”. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the outcome of the meeting would not change the situation on the front line in Ukraine and criticized the tens of billions of dollars pumped into Ukraine, saying it did not help them gain success on the battlefield. Zelenskyy’s visit to the US is a plea for military support as he battles Russia, but Biden’s request for additional aid for Ukraine and Israel faces serious risk of collapse in Congress.
Zelenskyy has warned that failing to maintain support for Ukraine would play into the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and both he and Biden argue that helping Ukraine resist Russia’s invasion is in the mutual interests of both countries. However, the plan for military aid has hit political snags in the US, with Republicans blocking it and demanding reforms at the US-Mexico border. The US Congress has approved over $110bn in security assistance for Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, but further funds have not been approved since the Republican Party gained a majority in the House of Representatives. Biden has asked Congress to approve an additional $61.4bn in support for Ukraine as part of a larger $110bn package that includes more funds for Israel and other issues.