Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky warned visiting American legislators that Kiev can only “beat Russia” with military aid from Washington and is sure to fail without US assistance, US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has claimed.
Kiev is currently “losing the war,” the lawmaker added.
Speaking after a meeting Zelensky on Friday, Schumer made the case for renewed US aid, which has all but halted amid Republican resistance in Congress.
“Everyone we saw, from Zelensky on down, made this very point clear: If Ukraine gets the aid, they will win the war and beat Russia. But if they don’t get the aid, they will surely lose the war,” Schumer told the New York Times.
Making his first visit to Ukraine, Schumer was accompanied by a group of Democratic lawmakers who traveled to Lviv to meet with Zelensky and the country’s newly-appointed commander-in-chief, General Aleksandr Syrsky. The trip was reportedly organized to allow the senators to determine Ukraine’s “wartime needs,” according to the NYT.
“We think we will be able to bring back very strong, specific evidence as to why Ukraine is, for the first time, losing the war – or, you know, retreating in the war,” Schumer continued, likely referring to Kiev’s recent withdrawal from the key city of Avdeevka, which Russia said was long used as a launchpad for Ukrainian attacks on Donetsk.
The Senate leader went on to highlight Kiev’s ammunition shortages, vowing to bring the issue back to US lawmakers and press for additional aid.
While senators passed a $60 billion military aid package for Kiev earlier this month, vocal opposition from House Republicans has stalled the legislation. GOP representatives continue to demand tighter border controls to stem the flow of illegal immigration and have sought to tie the issue to renewed aid for Ukraine, with Speaker Mike Johnson refusing to put the bill to a floor vote.
Though Washington quickly became Kiev’s top backer after Russia launched its military operation in the neighboring state in February 2022, American assistance slowed after Ukraine’s summer counteroffensive failed to recapture significant territory. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly urged for additional support amid the battlefield setbacks, with Zelensky saying his troops are in dire need of artillery, long-range munitions, aircraft, and other military hardware.