Zelensky ‘Ghosts’ Congress
Zelensky GoFundMe
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky canceled a planned Zoom call with the US Senate in which he was supposed to explain why the US government should approve another military aid package to his country.His absence was not explained, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) only saying that “something came up at the last minute.”Zelensky has complained consistently about his country’s need for additional funding in order to continue fighting Russia. Although Congress has already sent $113 billion of taxpayer money to Ukraine, US President Joe Biden has requested an additional $61 billion as part of a $111 billion spending package that also includes aid to Israel and increased spending on the US southern border.Last month, a White House spokesperson warned that US funds for Ukraine had nearly run out and that the country was nearly “out of time.”But with economic issues at home and a new shiny war to fund in Israel, Republicans have balked at spending more money on what even US officials and commentators are slowly starting to admit is a lost cause.
AmericasUS Senate Democrats Release Draft Bill Outlining $111 Billion Ukraine, Israel Aid5 December 2023, 23:59 GMTOn Tuesday, Ukrainian media reported that Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny reportedly told US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin that he will need an additional 17 million artillery shells and $350-400 billion in order to achieve his goals in the war.According to a Ukrainian official, Austin was surprised by the request “because there are not [that] many shells in the whole world.”There have been months-long rumors of a growing rift between Zelensky and Zaluzhny. Perhaps, a $350 billion GoFundMe would solve Zelensky’s woes.
