WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden called key allies on Tuesday to reassure them the United States (US) will stand fast on Ukraine after Republican hardliners derailed funding for aid to assist Kyiv’s war effort.
Biden spoke with the leaders of Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada, Romania, Britain, Poland, and of the European Union (EU) and NATO, along with the foreign minister of France, the White House said.
The White House said in a statement that President Biden convened a call this morning with partners and allies to coordinate the ongoing support for Ukraine. More details will be shared later, according to AFP.
Biden had been under intense pressure to calm shaken allies after an 11th-hour agreement in the US Congress to avoid a government funding shutdown on Saturday contained no new assistance for war-hit Ukraine.
Democrat Biden has urged Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to rush through new aid, saying that US support for Ukraine as it battles Russia’s invasion could not be interrupted “under any circumstances.”
Biden said on X that Speaker McCarthy and the majority of House Republicans must keep their word and secure approval of the support required to help Ukraine as it defends itself. The US is the indispensable country in the world, let’s act like it.
I strongly urge my Republican friends in Congress not to wait and pass a yearlong budget agreement.
Don't waste time like you did all summer.
We have the strongest economy in the world today. Let's act like it.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 3, 2023
Funds for Ukraine May Run Out
Biden has also warned that time is short before existing funding runs out.
Moscow has pounced on the chaos in Washington, with the Kremlin saying on Monday that Western war fatigue would increase amid the uncertainty over US assistance for Ukraine.
