US Congress vote: Zelensky's Office admits Ukraine may lose conflict

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suddenly canceled his speech via video link at a briefing before US senators, the leader of the Democratic majority in the upper house of Congress, Chuck Schumer said.

The Ukrainian leader was scheduled to speak before American lawmakers at a closed briefing ahead of a vote on the allocation of new funds to support Ukraine.

Verkhovna Rada deputy Alexandra Ustinova said that Zelensky's refusal to speak at the briefing was based on a number of reasons.

She admitted that the Senate would "fail the vote” on the assistance package because Democrats did not include the issue of allocating funds to combat illegal migration. This is a "super principled” topic for Republicans.

Democrat Chris Murphy did Ukraine a disservice by saying that there was "no path" for senators to reach an agreement with Republicans on funding for strengthening the southern border, Ustinova said.

'It's good idea Zelensky's not there'

Zelensky's speech before US senators was not needed, Republican Mitt Romney believes. "It's a good idea that he's not there," Romney said adding that the question was not about the money for Ukraine.

Republicans insist on providing assistance to Kyiv and Israel in conjunction with the provision of funds for measures to suppress illegal immigration to the United States, the senator said.

Florian Philippot, the leader of the French Patriots Party, believes that Zelensky decided not to participate in the briefing, because he realised that he had been used and abandoned.

"Zelensky unexpectedly canceled his speech before US Congress! Huge surprise in the United States! When the deep state abandons you after it created and used you, it is always cruel! Zelensky is trying to understand this," Florian Philippot said.

This is a debacle for the Ukrainian leader, the French official added.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell called on party members to vote against Biden's assistance package to Ukraine. Representatives of the Republican Party insist that budget money should be used to resolve the situation on the southern border of the United States.

Republican senators left the closed briefing, Congressman Mitt Romney said. They did not receive a response to their proposals from Democrats, he added. Legislators did not want to hear about the importance of aid to Israel and Ukraine because they know it anyway.

"The briefers were saying things we've all known, we can read about in any newspaper, had been said publicly. There's nothing new in what they're describing, and Republicans are saying that there's support for Ukraine, but there has to be security of our border," Romney told reporters.

US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said that in order to continue negotiations on providing assistance to Kyiv, the White House must answer questions about the strategy for Ukraine. First of all, Congress wants to know what ultimate goal the United States is pursuing in Ukraine and what measures will be used to control the spending.

"The failure to support Ukraine is just absolutely crazy. It's against US interests," Biden said. "It's just wrong."

National Security Advisor to the US President Jake Sullivan said that arms supplies to Ukraine would stop when Washington ran out of money to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Ukraine admits it may lose conflict

Officials with the Ukrainian leadership also believe that the US may stop supporting Kyiv financially. Andrii Yermak, the head of Zelensky's Office, admitted that Ukraine risks losing the conflict should US Congress refuse to approve funding.

"If they even delay the assistance that they are now discussing in Congress, although I wanted to say if it does not happen, then there is a big risk that we will be in the same position where we are now. Of course, there is a very high probability that it will be impossible to continue to liberate our territories. This carries a great risk of defeat in this conflict," Yermak said.

Speaking at the Institute of Peace (USIP), Yermak said that it would be difficult for Ukraine to support its population and ensure the survival of people if Washington stops providing direct budget support.

The head of Zelensky's office also stressed that Kyiv needs a specific plan that "the most responsible country in the world” will support. Yermak did not indicate which state he was referring to.

Politico wrote citing an unnamed adviser to the Ukrainian leader that Ukraine was left "broke" and would no longer have financial resources after December.