Zelenskyy pleads for aid but Republicans ask for border security and a strategy first

Zelenskyy says Ukraine will celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25

During his meeting with Hill Democrats, Zelenskyy made the point of telling Jeffries and other lawmakers that Ukraine will be celebrating Christmas this year on Dec. 25 instead of Jan. 7, which is when the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates it, according to a source in the room.

McConnell says it’s ‘practically impossible’ to pass a supplemental before the end of the year

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said it’s “practically impossible” to pass a national security supplemental by the end of the year, noting that the House will leave at the end of the week until 2024.

“I think the [House] speaker has said to a number of people, and he can speak for himself, but he’s apparently said to a number of people they’re leaving at the end of the week,” McConnell told reporters at a news conference.

“So, all I’ve said is it’s practically impossible, even though we reach an agreement, to craft it, get it through the Senate and get it to the House before Christmas,” McConnell continued. “That doesn’t mean it’s not important. And even though we’ve been emphasizing the border, I want to remind everybody of the importance of Ukraine. We heard from the [Ukrainian] president today. He is inspirational.”

Republican senators brought up border security during Zelenskyy meeting

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During Zelenskyy’s meeting with senators about his country’s need for more military aid, some Republicans brought up the need for border provisions to be included in any bill that sends Ukraine aid. 

Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota said that “several different members” brought up the negotiations about border security and that Zelenskyy “made it clear that he understood that that was an issue, he talked and he was there to talk about their needs, and he did a very good job of not getting involved — not being pulled into the discussion.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina says he brought up the negotiations during his remarks in the meeting and told Zelenskyy to “thank Mike Johnson for being willing to pass a package if border security is in it because half of his conference probably doesn’t agree with that.” 

“When you see him thank him, you know, he’s being helpful here, Mr. President,” Graham said he told Zelenskyy. “You’re in the middle of something you didn’t create.”

Graham said Zelenskyy didn’t respond, but said, “He just listened, he just nodded when I said tell Mike Johnson thank you for being willing to support a package.”

Top Democrat knocks Johnson for not inviting all House members to meet with Zelenskyy

House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., took a shot at Johnson for not inviting all members of the House to meet with Zelenskyy.

Before separate meetings with House GOP and Democratic leaders, Zelenskyy met with all senators during a meeting that Schumer organized.

“We just thank him for coming out, and [having] the courage to come here,” Aguilar said after he attended a meeting between Zelenskyy and Democratic leaders. “Unfortunately, House Republicans didn’t extend that offer to meet like the Senate did — to meet with all members.

“It would have been nice if Speaker Johnson conveyed that, but he didn’t.”

Aguilar said the “important takeaway is we have to do everything we can to help Ukraine fight for democracy, fight for their sovereignty.” 

He added that there was not any talk about the U.S.-Mexico border or immigration during the meeting with Zelenskyy. 

Johnson says GOP needs border security and a strategy before giving more aid

After a closed-door meeting with Zelenskyy, Johnson told reporters House Republicans will not agree to additional aid for Ukraine unless the White House satisfies two conditions: Include border security in the aid package, and provide a detailed strategy on how Ukraine can win the war against Russia.

“I reiterated to him that we stand with him against Putin’s brutal invasion. The American people stand for freedom and they’re on the right side on this fight,” Johnson said. “We need a clear articulation of the strategy to allow Ukraine to win. And thus far, their responses have been insufficient.”

“They have not provided us the clarity and the detail that we requested over and over since literally 24 hours after I was handed the gavel as speaker of the House,” he continued.

“And so what the Biden administration seems to be asking for is billions of additional dollars with no appropriate oversight, no clear strategy to win, and none of the answers that I think the American people are owed.”

Schumer says he urged Johnson to keep House in session for aid negotiations

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., spoke on the Senate floor about Zelenskyy’s visit with senators and said he called House Speaker Mike Johnson to ask him to stay in session until border negotiations have been completed.

“President Zelenskyy’s message was direct: Ukraine will win the war against Russia if more aid is approved,” Schumer said, but if “no more aid is approved, Putin will win, it’s that simple.”

“Last night, I got on the phone with Speaker Johnson and urged him to keep the House in session to give a supplemental a chance to come together,” Schumer said.

“If we abandon Ukraine to the dark forces of autocracy, we will all pay a price,” he added.

Zelenskyy wraps up Capitol Hill meetings

Zelenskyy has departed the Capitol after a roughly half-hour meeting with Speaker Mike Johnson.

Zelenskyy took no questions as he left the building. He’s heading to the White House now for a meeting with Biden.

Zelenskyy heads to meetings with the House

Zelenskyy is holding meetings in the House now. He first met with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.; Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar; and other Democrats.

Jeffries then escorted Zelenskyy to his next meeting, but the Ukrainian president took no questions as he passed a bank of reporters.

He is now meeting with Speaker Mike Johnson.

Durbin emerges from Zelenskyy meeting ‘angry’ and ‘disappointed’

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., emerged from the meeting with Zelenskyy saying he was “angry” and “disappointed.”

He told reporters he’s “angry that we would consider walking away from Ukraine at this moment” in history.

Durbin expressed incredulity at members who have “grown impatient” and “don’t want to talk” about U.S. aid to Ukraine anymore. “They’re still giving their lives and we’re impatient?”

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National Security Council spokesman John Kirby speaks about why sending additional aid to Ukraine is critical.

Zelenskyy meets with senators at 9 a.m.

Zelenskyy plans to address senators in the Mansfield Room at the Capitol just off the Senate floor starting at 9 a.m. ET.

All 100 senators are invited to the meeting, which is expected to last about an hour.

The meeting with senators comes at a critical time, with negotiations surrounding the national security supplemental package continuing, but making little progress. The Senate is scheduled to leave town at the end of the week until January.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is back in the United States appealing directly to Biden and members of Congress for additional aid for his embattled country. The Senate has been at a standoff over sending aid, and Ukraine’s counteroffensive has stalled. NBC’s Peter Alexander reports for “TODAY.”

Senate negotiators doubt they’ll get a deal to unlock Ukraine aid this week

The top two senators negotiating an immigration deal cautioned yesterday that the clock is ticking and they may not be able to reach an agreement this week before the Senate is scheduled to adjourn for the rest of the year.

That means President Joe Biden’s package of aid to Ukraine and Israel could falter with it, with the debate slipping into an election year that will make it even harder to secure a bipartisan agreement.

Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., who is leading the discussions for Republicans, said he still believes negotiators are “making progress” but cautioned that “every day” that goes by without a deal “makes it more complicated” to reach one.

“There’s no way to get it done this week,” Lankford said in an interview. “The question is are we staying in next week or does this actually move into early January to be able to resolve? That’s a big unknown at this point, and that depends on how the negotiation actually goes and how we’re actually working through to be able to actually get text that actually works.”

Read the full story here.

Zelenskyy and Biden to meet as Ukraine aid package stalls in Congress

Ukraine’s president will meet with President Joe Biden at the White House on Tuesday as an aid package with funds for the war-torn country stalls on Capitol Hill amid disagreements over immigration policies.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also expected to speak with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, where there is growing GOP skepticism about providing more financial and military support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.

The White House meeting is “a chance for the president to get an update from President Zelenskyy about how things are going on the battlefront, but also to make it very clear to President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people that we’re going to continue to support them, particularly at this very difficult time,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said at a news briefing Monday.

Kirby added that Biden will also make the case “for why additional funding for Ukraine and Israel are vital to our own national security interests at this time.”

Read the full story here.