Zelensky visits Washington with US aid to Ukraine in doubt

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine will travel to Washington on Tuesday in a last-ditch lobbying effort with President Biden and members of Congress aimed at securing billions of dollars in US aid, officials said on Sunday.

Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said Mr Zelensky would meet Mr Biden at the White House to “underline the United States’ unwavering commitment” to the embattled nation opposing Russia’s invasion .

“As Russia increases its missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, leaders will discuss Ukraine’s urgent needs and the critical importance of continued support from the United States at this critical moment,” Ms. Jean-Pierre said.

Last week the Republicans blocked a $110.5 billion emergency spending bill that includes financing Ukraine’s war effort, raising doubts about whether the United States will continue to help arm the country in its fight against Russia.

They have argued that any measure to fund Ukraine’s war effort must be accompanied by changes to U.S. asylum laws and detention policies, which were not included in the bill.

Mr. Biden and his aides have warned that a refusal to support Ukraine in coming months could pave the way for a victory for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. Zelensky’s chief of staff also said last week that Ukraine could lose the war if the United States delayed aid.

Republicans have responded by saying that Mr. Biden and Mr. Zelensky have not presented a clear plan to win the war, which has stalled after more than a year and a half.

Mr. Zelensky will have a chance to meet directly with some lawmakers Tuesday morning in a closed-door session with senators, according to a senior Democratic aide. The meeting was hosted by Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, and Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader.

The Ukrainian leader was due to address a similar session of lawmakers remotely last week, but he canceled at the last minute. The meeting degenerated into a shouting match between Democratic and Republican senators over the Republican Party’s border demands.

Mr. Zelensky last visited Washington in September and held a similar meeting at the Capitol with senators, which was widely attended. But he was never invited to address members of the House of Representatives, where most Republicans have since voted against continuing the war. Just days after Mr. Zelensky’s visit, Congress decided not to add emergency aid to Ukraine to a bill to fund the government, putting that aid in limbo for the first time since Russia’s invasion in early 2022.

During his September visit, Mr. Zelensky met with Representative Kevin McCarthy, Republican of California and subsequently the speaker; Representative Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat of New York and the Minority Leader; and a group of senior lawmakers from the National Security and Appropriations Committees. Mr. McCarthy was removed from the speakership less than two weeks later.

The new speaker, Mike Johnson, is expected to meet alone with Mr. Zelensky this week, said Raj Shah, a spokesman for Mr. Johnson.

Mr. Zelensky’s office said in a statement on Sunday that he would “focus on securing unity among the US, Europe and the rest of the world in supporting Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression, and on strengthening the international order, based on rules and respect for the sovereignty of nations.”

There is still a significant gap that needs to be closed in Congress. Senator Christopher S. Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, who is leading negotiations for his party, said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the Republican Party’s latest demands were “unreasonable.”

“If I were a cynic, I would say that Republicans decided to tie aid to Ukraine to immigration reform because they want aid to Ukraine to fail,” he added.

But Sen. James Lankford, Republican of Oklahoma, who is leading negotiations for his party, rejected such accusations and argued on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that Congress should address both issues.

“What you hear from so many people is: Why should we concern ourselves with the safety of others and ignore America’s national security?” Mr. Lankford said, later adding, “We can do two things at the same time.”