Billions in Ukraine Aid Released Amid GOP Anger Over Zelenskyy's US Visit

Facts

• Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy had separate meetings with US Pres. Joe Biden and Vice Pres. Kamala Harris on Thursday, and briefed the pair on Ukraine's 'victory plan' — his vision for military pressuring Russia into seeking a diplomatic end to the war.^[1]
• While details of the closed-door discussions are scant, Zelenskyy had been expected to make a renewed push for US ascension to Ukraine using Western-provided long-range weapons for strikes deep into Russian territory, and the ramping up of weapons deliveries to Ukraine.^[1]
• Ahead of talks, a senior US official with knowledge of the broad outlines of the Ukrainian plan told the WSJ he was 'unimpressed' by the proposals, saying they lacked a comprehensive strategy and appeared little more than a repackaged bid to lift weapons restrictions and increase military aid.^[2]
• Following the meetings, no announcement was made suggesting restrictions on long-range weapons would be lifted. However, Biden said Thursday that he had directed the US Department of Defense to allocate all available funds earmarked for Ukraine before the end of his presidential term.^[3]
• That included authorizing $5.5B in Presidential Drawdown Authority, which permits the Pentagon to purchase new weapons after existing stockpiles are sent to Ukraine, as well as $2.4B of aid through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.^[3]
• Republicans fumed about Zelenskyy's visit to an arms manufacturer in Scranton, Pennsylvania — expected to be a key state in this year's presidential election. House speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) labelled it 'election interference.'^[1]
• Elsewhere, at a campaign event in North Carolina, former Pres. Donald Trump heaped criticism on Zelenskyy for not reaching a peace agreement with Russia earlier in the conflict. However, contradicting earlier reports, Trump confirmed that he would meet with Zelenskyy in New York on Friday.^[4][5]

Sources: ^[1]BBC News, ^[2]Wsj, ^[3]The White House, ^[4]POLITICO and ^[5]Associated Press.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by The White House. Throughout Russia's aggression towards Ukraine, the US has stood by and ensured it has the means to protect its sovereignty and independence. However, further help is needed and that's why the US is announcing the latest weapons packages, giving Ukraine all the necessary tools to succeed.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Newsweek. So far, Ukraine's plan for ending the war revolves around defeating Russia militarily, getting it to withdraw from every inch of Ukrainian territory, paying reparations, and offering its officers for war crimes trials. In summary, it's nothing short of Russian humiliation — a simply unrealistic prospect given the on-the-ground realities.

Predictions