The White House on Tuesday explained the war in Ukraine is at a critical juncture, with Kyiv at risk of losing more territory as a bill with additional U.S. funding for the war-torn country has stalled in the GOP-led House of Representatives.
While the Senate has already approved a $90 billion package that would, among other things, provide more aid to Ukraine, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has resisted bringing it to the House floor for a vote under pressure by right-wing Republicans, who oppose it.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre explained that this reality has forced Ukrainian troops to ration ammunition, repeating that President Joe Biden has urged the lower chamber “to support our national security” and pass the bill.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby described the situation on the ground as “very dire,” as he noted that Ukraine has already started ceding territory to the Russians, including the city of Avdiivka in the eastern part of the country, as the absence of U.S. funding has limited their ability to fight back.
“If they continue to get no support from the United States, in a month or two, it is very likely that the Russians will achieve more territorial gains and have more success against Ukrainian frontlines in terms of just territory gain, mostly in the East but potentially even in the South,” Kirby added.
Kirby’s remarks follow a meeting hosted by President Joe Biden at the Oval Office, which was attended by Vice President Kamala Harris and the four congressional leaders, Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Johnson, to discuss the supplemental aid package and the looming government shutdown.
Schumer, who made a surprise trip to Ukraine last week, described it as “one of the most intense I have ever encountered in my many meetings in the Oval Office,” adding that both he and Jeffries tried to drive home the point of how critical standing by Ukraine is for the U.S.
“This was so, so important, and that we couldn’t afford to wait a month, or two months, or three months because we would in all likelihood lose the war, NATO would be fractured at best, allies would turn away from the United States,” Schumer said.
Johnson told reporters that while he is keen to explore the different options for passing the package, including aid for Ukraine, Israel and humanitarian assistance for Gaza, the country’s primary focus should be securing the U.S. Southern border.
“I was very clear with the president and all those in the room that the House is actively pursuing and investigating all the various options on that, and we will address that in a timely manner,” Johnson said. “But again, the first priority of the country is our border and making sure it’s secure.”
However, Republican lawmakers recently blocked a compromise bipartisan bill that included provisions to secure the U.S.-Mexico border in exchange for funding U.S. allies abroad after former President Donald Trump, the front-runner in the Republican presidential primary, forcefully opposed it.
Meanwhile, the White House called on Johnson to follow through on his word that he aims to find a way forward on Ukraine promptly.
“We urge the speaker, when he says a ‘timely fashion,’ that he actually lives up to that,” Kirby said. “Because, again, to the Ukrainian soldier, the time is right now.”