Zelensky Issues Ultimatum, Warns Ukraine ‘Will Lose’ If U.S. Refuses Further Aid
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Ukraine will lose the war against Russia unless the U.S. provides further military aid.
According to The Kyiv Independent, Zelensky made the remarks on Sunday during a meeting with the Ukrainian fund-raising group UNITED24.
“It’s important to specifically address the Congress: if the Congress doesn’t help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war,” Zelensky said. “If Ukraine loses this war, other countries will be attacked. This is a fact."
The warning is one of the starkest since Russia invaded Ukraine over two years ago, as Congress wrangles over the condition of greenlighting further support. Although the Senate previously passed a $95.3 billion foreign aid bill that included money for Kyiv's effort, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has so far refused to hold a vote on the matter.
This prolonged delay has forced Kyiv to confront severe shortages in manpower and ammunition, even as Russia intensifies its assault on Ukrainian cities with relentless missile strikes and strategically probes weaknesses along the front lines.
Back in February, Zelensky similarly warned that "millions could die" unless the U.S. approved the package after Senator J.D. Vance argued that further funding would not change the outcome of the conflict.
“To understand it is to come to the front line to see what’s going on, to speak with the people, then to go to civilians to understand … what will (happen to) them without this support," Zelensky said at the time. "And he will understand that millions … will be killed. It’s a fact."
Zelensky's comments came just days after Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisted that U.S. support for Ukraine remained “rock solid” and that Washington would support Ukraine joining NATO, despite the risks of escalating tensions with Moscow.
“Ukraine will become a member of NATO,” Blinken told reporters in Brussels following a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. “Our purpose at the summit is to help build a bridge to that membership.”
“Based on what I heard today … everyone, including the United States, is going to double back and, as necessary, double down on finding the resources that Ukraine continues to need,” he continued.
However, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said over the weekend Ukraine may ultimately have to compromise with Russia in order to bring an end to the conflict.
“At the end of the day, it has to be Ukraine that decides what kind of compromises they’re willing to do, we need to enable them to be in a position where they actually achieve an acceptable result around the negotiating table,” he said in an interview with the BBC.
“Even if we believe and hope that the war will end in the near future, we need to support Ukraine for many years, to build their defences to deter future aggression."
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