Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky On Tuesday, she urged US lawmakers to maintain their “unwavering” support for how even if Republicans gain a majority in the House of Representatives.
As Americans head to the polls Tuesday for the midterm elections, officials around the world are watching to see if and how the balance of power shifts between Democrats and Republicans.
Kyiv relied heavily on US support throughout the eight-month war following the Russian invasion in February, but concern has grown in the war-torn country that Washington’s support could erode if Republicans gain control of Congress.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at his official residence in Kyiv, Ukraine, on October 25, 2022.
(Jesko Denzel/Bundesregierung via Getty Images)
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Polls have suggested that the Republican Party may be able to regain majority control in the House of Representatives while races in the Senate remain hotly contested.
Zelensky largely refrained From commenting on the US political landscape as Americans prepare for several tight midterm races, he urged Congress on Tuesday to keep supporting him no matter which party is making gains.
“When this war began, Ukraine heard something very important from the world — we heard that ‘democracies are here,'” he said in a speech after being awarded the Medal of Freedom by Senator Chris Coons, and Ohio’s Rob Portman.
He continued, “I invite you to maintain the unshakable unity, as it is now, until that very day when we all hear those important words that we’ve been dreaming of.” “Until we hear that peace has finally been restored.
He urged that “democracies must not stop on the way to victory.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks via video link to the opening session of the Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform, organized by Ukraine and Croatia, in Zagreb, on October 25, 2022.
(Damir Sinkar/Paul/AFP via Getty Images)
The United States has been the world’s largest supplier of arms, aid, and financial support to Ukraine, providing $18.2 billion in security assistance since January 2021 — nearly $17.6 billion of which has been provided since the February invasion.
While the support for Ukraine was largely The bipartisan issue in the Senate, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Calif., brought the issue into question last month when he said Republicans would not write a “blank check” if they returned to the House.
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Polls published by Reuters last month showed that 75% of Americans still support helping Ukraine in the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin, but McCarthy and other hard-line lawmakers have claimed that support will not withstand rising inflation.
“I think people are going to have a recession and won’t write a blank check to Ukraine,” McCarthy told reporters in October.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green issued similar sentiments, vowing Friday that “under Republicans, not a penny will go to Ukraine” if the Republican Party wins the House of Representatives.
“Our country comes first,” she added.
Ukrainian forces in Izyum, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine, after the withdrawal of Russian forces from the city on September 16, 2022.
(Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The Biden administration has worked to reduce concerns about US support, and on Tuesday, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas Greenfield met with Zelensky and members of his leadership team “to discuss the United States’ unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
“I reiterated that the United States is steadfast in its support for Ukraine and is ready to stand with Ukraine for as long as needed,” said Nate Evans, a spokesman for the US mission to the United Nations. “I committed to continuing to work at the United Nations to strengthen international support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and to urge member states to defend international law and the UN Charter,” she added.