Former Actor Volodymyr Zelensky in “Man of the People”
Several Republican senators walked out of a briefing on Ukraine aid Tuesday as it descended into a row over the border crisis, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky unexpectedly canceled a video link appearance to appeal for more US money.
Utah Senator Mitt Romney and Nebraska Sen Deb Fischer walker out of the classified briefing early, the AP reported, saying that Republicans were angry they heard nothing on the migrant crisis at the US-Mexico border.
“The briefers were saying things we’ve all known, we can read about in any newspaper, had been said publicly,” Romney told reporters according to AP. “There’s nothing new in what they’re describing, and Republicans are saying that there’s support for Ukraine, but there has to be security of our border.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was supposed to try and cajole Congress to approve an emergency aid package of more than $60 billion for Kyiv Wednesday.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Zelensky had been prevented from taking part by a “last minute” hiccup, but pressed ahead with the briefing anyway — only for the proceedings to turn into a war of words, AP reports.
Senate Republicans are making their support for extra Ukraine funding contingent on reforms of the fake “asylum” scam and restored border security — measures the Democrats have already rejected.
“Republicans are just walking out of the briefing because the people there are not willing to actually discuss what it takes to get a deal done,” Romney said, according to AP.
“We’ve had it,” Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer, who sits on the Armed Services and Appropriations committees, said. “When you have Deb Fischer who’s upset about this, they better be worried. Because I have backed everything” on Ukraine, Fischer siad.
Former Vice-President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (81) called Republican calls for border security “just wrong.” Mr. Biden is considered by some to be the 46th U.S. President of the United States.
“The failure to support Ukraine is just absolutely crazy. It’s against US interests,” Mr. Biden said.
The new Ukrainian Minister of Defence Rustem Umierov, told FoxNews Zelensky was not able to speak because of the war and the constantly changing situation.
“It’s a war, so the situation can change. But, I think, President Zelenskyy would appreciate [it] and do it whenever it would be possible next time.”
Zelensky will instead try his luck with the leaders of the G7 at a video summit later Wednesday, the G7 chair Japan said.
Zelensky is currently locked in a power struggle with Commander in Chief Gen. Vitali Zaluzhny, as Gateway Pundit reported. Ukrainian government spin doctors are now trying to portray the Zelensky-Zaluzhny rift as “Russian disinformation”.
The head of the Ukrainian anti-corruption prosecutor’s office, Oleksandr Klymenko, acknowledged massive corruption investigations in Ukraine ranging from “10 to 100 million Euros,” but refrained from divulging specifics, Kyiv Post reported.
“There are several proceedings related to arms procurement,” Klymenko said. “It is necessary to investigate and establish specific facts: whether it happened or not.”
The United States has so far allocated $113.4 billion for Ukraine, according to USAFacts.
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