Zelenskyy meets US House Speaker Johnson, Senate Minority Leader McConnell

Washington DC [US], December 13 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a one-to-one meeting with US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday, which lasted for roughly 30 minutes, CNN reported. Zelenskyy also met US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Mike Johnson said he had a "good" meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, CNN reported. However, he remained firm in his stance that the US needs to address the border first before advancing on an aid bill.
Zelenskyy arrived in Washington on Tuesday at a critical moment, as the White House has warned that US aid to Ukraine could imminently dry up and talks over new assistance remain stalled in Congress, according to CNN report.
After the meeting, Johnson said, "From the very beginning, when I was handed the gavel, we needed clarity on what we're doing in Ukraine and how we'll have proper oversight of the spending of precious taxpayer dollars, and we needed a transformative change at the border. Thus far, we've gotten neither" and called the border an "absolute catastrophe," CNN reported.
Mike Johnson stated that the "first condition on any national security supplemental spending package is about our own national security first." He stressed that the White House has not been able to articulate plan that helps Ukraine secure victory and criticised the US Senate for being "MIA."
He further said, "The House passed HR 2 six months ago, more than six months ago. It's been sitting and collecting dust on Chuck Schumer's desk." He insisted that the issue is with the White House and Senate and called on them to do their job, CNN reported.
He said, "It is not the House's issue right now. The issue is with the White House and the Senate, and I implore them to do their jobs because the time is urgent."
During his visit to the US, Zelenskyy also met US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. After the nearly 90-minute meeting with Zelenskyy, McConnell echoed Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and called for urgent funding for Ukraine. McConnell stressed that it be part of a large package that includes border security policy changes.
Mitch McConnell said he's "going to work to get it done as long as it takes," CNN reported. He said, "I've been a staunch supporter of Ukraine's fight to take back its land, liberate its people and restore its support, restore its sovereignty since the beginning of Russia's invasion, way back in 2014."
McConnell further stated, "Our Ukrainian friends' cause is just, and if the West continues to stand with them, they can win." He asserted that the financial support will not come without making changes in border policy as part of a supplemental package.
He said, "We know the threats we face are intertwined -- that Russia and China and North Korea work together to undermine America and the West. We know that our border, just like Ukraine's borders and Israel's and Taiwan's, must be inviolable. That's why for months now, we've supported supplemental action on all four of the most pressing national security challenges we face."
Meanwhile, US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill "very powerful." Schumer said Zelenskyy "outlined in great detail" what Kyiv needs and how the US can assist Ukraine in defending itself against Russia.
Schumer said, "If he gets the help he needs, he will win." Before making extended remarks, Schumer, McConnell and Zelenskyy walked by reporters, and Schumer said it was a "very good and productive meeting."
Schumer later said, "If Ukraine falls, it will be a historic and colossal tragedy. If Russia is victorious, future generations will remember this as a moment of shame for the west, for the United States, and for those in the Senate who sought to block it."
Chuck Schumer expressed the willingness of Democrats to meet with the Republicans "in the middle" on border security reform. However, he added that the US House-passed border bill was not an option.
"It is not a time for one side to demand maximalist fringe policies that they know are unrealistic and then say 'our way or the highway.' If Republican colleagues want in agreement on the border, they must meet us at the middle. They need to show us they are serious. So far, when they just asked for HR2 two or something like it, they're not showing seriousness," he said, according to CNN report.
Taking to X, Zelenskyy stated that he had a "friendly and candid conversation" with members of the US Senate. He said tha the informed them about Ukraine's current military and economic situation.
"In the United States Senate, I had a friendly and candid conversation. I informed members of the U.S. Senate about Ukraine's current military and economic situation, the significance of sustaining vital U.S. support, and answered their questions. I am grateful to Senate Majority Leader @SenSchumer and Republican Leader @LeaderMcConnell for their personal leadership in rallying bipartisan support for Ukraine among US legislators," Zelenskyy posted on X.
Schumer said he held a telephonic conversation with US House Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday. Schumer said he urged Johnson to keep the House in town while negotiators work on a comprehensive package, even though any kind of deal does not seem imminent.