UKRAINE’S President Volodymyr Zelensky urged US Republicans to present the identical braveness as Ronald Reagan in the Cold War and unblock £49billion in aid he wants to fight Russia.
And US President Joe Biden stated a failure to achieve this would give tyrannical Vladimir Putin “the greatest Christmas gift”.
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In Washington final night time, Mr Zelensky invoked Reagan’s 1987 name to “tear down” the Berlin Wall.
He stated: “We need no less confidence now than President Reagan had then.”
The speech by Reagan — nonetheless a hero to many Republicans — helped spark the wall’s demolition two years later after which the tip of the Soviet Union.
But his successors in the get together have repeatedly hampered White House plans to ship the subsequent tranche of aid to Ukraine.
Last week, they blocked the invoice amid anger over the exclusion of Mexican immigration reforms they sought as a part of the bundle.
With Mr Zelensky in the Oval Office, Mr Biden stated: “Congress needs to pass supplemental funding for Ukraine before the holiday recess — before they give Putin the greatest Christmas gift they could possibly give him.”
On his third journey to the US since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Mr Zelensky instructed army officers on the National Defence Academy: “If there’s anyone inspired by unresolved issues on Capitol Hill, it’s just Putin and his sick clique.”
He pointed to latest drone strikes that present “Ukraine’s response to Russian barbarism can shake the ground in the heart of Moscow”.
Western intelligence sources declare Ukraine might nearly maintain the road in opposition to Russia however would be unable to advance if America turns off the faucets.
And Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska warned her nation confronted “mortal danger” if the West abandons them.
Republican Speaker Mike Johnson final night time insisted his get together backed Ukraine however accused the White House of asking for billions of {dollars} with out correct oversight.
He stated: “We want clear articulation of the technique to permit Ukraine to win.
“Thus far, their responses have been inadequate.”
Russia has responded to Mr Zelensky’s US go to with an enormous cyber assault — with cell and web supplier Kyivstar down and Monobank going through an enormous denial of service outage.
It got here as Mr Zelensky’s Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba urged the EU to make its personal choices and never be swayed by US wobbles.
The bloc is due launch £43billion in aid and agree a route to Ukraine’s accession.
However, Hungary’s pro-Putin chief Viktor Orbán has vowed to oppose each plans — regardless of being pictured briefly speaking with Mr Zelensky in Argentina on Sunday.
Britain has vowed to help Ukraine for so long as it takes.
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