Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address U.S. military officers at the National Defense University on Monday as part of a last-minute push to convince Congress to provide more money for weapons before funding runs out.

President Joe Biden invited Zelenskyy to the White House on Tuesday as his administration pushes Congress for more aid.

What You Need To Know

  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address U.S. military officers at the National Defense University on Monday as part of a last-minute push to convince Congress to provide more money for weapons before funding runs out

  • President Joe Biden invited Zelenskyy to the White House on Tuesday as his administration pushes Congress for more aid

  • The White House says the visit is intended “to underscore the United States’ unshakeable commitment to supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Russia’s brutal invasion"

  • Biden has asked Congress for a $110 billion package of wartime funding for Ukraine and Israel. But the request is caught up in a debate over U.S. immigration policy and border security

The visit is intended “to underscore the United States’ unshakeable commitment to supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Russia’s brutal invasion,” the White House said in a statement Sunday. “As Russia ramps up its missile and drone strikes against Ukraine, the leaders will discuss Ukraine’s urgent needs and the vital importance of the United States’ continued support at this critical moment.”

President Joe Biden has asked Congress for $61.4 billion for wartime funding for Ukraine as part of a $110 billion package that also includes money for Israel and other national security priorities. But the request is caught up in a debate over U.S. immigration policy and border security. The U.S. has already provided Ukraine $111 billion for its fight against Russia’s 2022 invasion.

On Tuesday, Zelenskyy is expected to go to Capitol Hill and to meet with Biden at the White House.

With Congress in its final work week before leaving for the holidays, questions remain as to whether Republicans will be able to come to an agreement on any rounds of future funding for Ukraine or Israel without White House concessions on additional border security as illegal crossings surge. But any border package also runs the risk of alienating some Democrats.

The stakes are especially high for Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during television interviews Sunday, given that “ we are running out of funding ” for the Ukrainians.

“This is a time to really step up because if we don’t, we know what happens. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will be able to move forward with impunity and we know he won’t stop in Ukraine," Blinken said.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said there is bipartisan agreement that something has to be done to address record numbers of migrants crossing into the United States from Mexico.

“We want to solve that, to secure the border. I just saw the president of the United States say that we’ve got to secure the border. He’s right. So, any effort that doesn’t do that will be rejected by Republicans,” Romney said.

The stakes are especially high for Ukraine, Blinken said, given that "we are running out of funding" for the Ukrainians.

"This is a time to really step up because if we don’t, we know what happens," he said. "[Russian President Vladimir] Putin will be able to move forward with impunity and we know he won't stop in Ukraine.”

Congress already has allocated $111 billion to assist Ukraine, and Biden's budget director, Shalanda Young, said in a letter this past week to House and Senate leaders that the U.S. will run out of funding to send weapons and assistance to Ukraine by the end of the year, which would “kneecap” Ukraine on the battlefield.

But Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, said the administration has yet to justify additional aid to Ukraine. “So what we’re saying to the president and really to the entire world is, you need to articulate what the ambition is. What is $61 billion going to accomplish that $100 billion hasn’t?” Vance said.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said the money would make a difference because Russia is struggling to fund its war effort. “It can change the outcome of this war,” Murphy said. “Because at the very same time that we are making a renewed commitment to Ukraine, Russia’s ability to continue to fight this war is in jeopardy.”

Romney said he also supports the aid to Ukraine. “My own view is that it’s very much in America’s interest to see Ukraine successful and to provide the weapons that Ukraine needs to defend itself. Anything other than that would be a huge dereliction of our responsibility, I believe, to the world of democracy but also to our own national interest,” he said.