Zelenskiy’s Ukraine Aid Appeal Fails to Break Republican Demand for Border Deal

Republican senators emerged from a closed-door meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy Tuesday steadfast in their demands that Democrats accept tougher border restrictions as the price for more US aid to Ukraine.

The Senate Armed Services Committee’s top-ranking Republican, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, said he’d prefer to get Ukraine aid wrapped up before the end of the year but said congressional approval will more likely slip to early January as the border talks continue.

“The house is not on fire,” Wicker said of Ukraine’s need for ammunition and other weaponry.

Zelenskiy said in a post on the social media platform X that he had “a friendly and candid conversation” with senators and informed them about “Ukraine’s current military and economic situation” as well as “the significance of sustaining vital U.S. support.”

Newly declassified intelligence shared with some congressional officials puts Russian losses in the war so far at 315,000 deaths or injuries, a person familiar with the talks said. The Russians have also lost about 63% of their tanks, which had been a fleet of 3,500 before the invasion, and the war has set back efforts to modernize its ground forces by about 15 years, according to the person.

Zelenskiy told senators Ukraine is considering conscripting men over 40 years old to bolster its front line troop levels, Wicker said, a sign his government is struggling to replace killed and wounded soldiers.

Many Republicans voiced support for Ukraine and called the meeting with Zelenskiy inspirational. But they demanded changes to US immigration and border policies before approving additional aid.

“There will be no supplemental without border security reform,” Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said he told Zelenskiy.

Read More: How a US Partisan Clash Over Immigration Has Stalled Ukraine Aid

Democrats are resisting most of the Republican demands, leaving both sides locked in a standoff and delaying military assistance to help Ukraine at a critical moment in its fight against Russia’s invasion.

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer left the meeting with Zelenskiy calling the session “productive” and “very powerful.”

Democrats involved in Ukraine funding negotiations on the Hill are growing more frustrated that President Joe Biden isn’t more directly engaged, including with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the person familiar with the talks said. There’s also a fair amount of uncertainty on what the White House is willing to concede on border security issues to win Republican votes on Ukraine.

Still, Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, a close ally of Biden who is a leading negotiator for Democrats in the talks, said the White House is “getting more involved.”

Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, said Zelenskiy understood the end-of-year politics at play on Capitol Hill.

“He’s an elected official himself,” Tillis said leaving the meeting. “He understood we have to go through this political process and get border security wrapped up.”