White House on Putin's statements on Ukraine: We hope Republicans heard the message
John Kirby, Strategic Communications Coordinator for the National Security Council at the White House (Getty Images)
The Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, during his latest address, once again confirmed his desire to conquer Ukraine. Republicans in Congress, who have been blocking aid to Ukraine, should have received Putin's message, according to John Kirby, the coordinator of strategic communications for the National Security Council at the White House.
"Nearly 20 months after he launched his brutal and barbaric invasion, Mr. Putin said today that — that his aggression in Ukraine will not end and there will only be peace, quote, “when our goals are achieved.” End quote. We all know what that means. But I sure hope that those House Republicans who have, for months, held hostage critical assistance to Ukraine heard Putin’s message loud and clear," Kirby said.
According to the White House representative, Putin, during his annual press conference, "doubled down on his goal of conquering Ukraine and subjugating its people."
Kirby emphasized that while Congress is on Christmas break, Ukrainians continue to fight. He stressed that aid is needed now, not after the holidays.
"If that’s not enough to move you or change your mind, think about our own interests here. We know that what happens in Ukraine doesn’t just happen to Ukraine. It’s no foreign war. Putin is challenging the very international order that we helped build. He’s challenging the U.N. Charter. He’s challenging the very notion of sovereignty. He’s challenging democracy itself," Kirby said.
As the White House representative stated, the U.S. cannot afford not to help Ukraine, and dictators continue to act if they are not held accountable for their aggression.
"And make no mistake, Putin is not the only — he’s not the only one watching what’s going on here and how this plays out," he added.
Backstory
At the beginning of October, President Joe Biden requested over $100 billion from Congress for national security needs. This funding includes new assistance to Ukraine of over $60 billion.
Republicans refused to support the initiative, demanding that the White House incorporate their proposals regarding border security into the request.
Republicans and Democrats started negotiations to reach a compromise on this issue, which is why the U.S. Senate decided to delay recess.
It is known that next week, the Senate will vote on allocating a package of financial aid to Ukraine. This is the last opportunity to approve funding.
For more details on why the U.S. cannot agree on aid to Ukraine, please refer to RBC-Ukraine's article.
