Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon described Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's recent U.S. visit as "catastrophically bad" during a recent episode of his "Bannon's War Room" podcast.
"Zelensky's visit was catastrophically bad, and everybody knows that," Bannon said. "People who are in this know it. It's catastrophically bad."
The Ukrainian leader made a whirlwind visit to the American capital on Sept. 21, delivering an optimistic message on the war's progress while facing new questions about the flow of American dollars that for 19 months have helped keep his troops in the fight against Russian forces. Compared to the hero's welcome he received during his 2022 visit, Zelensky received a much quieter reception on Capitol Hill.
He arrived at the U.S. Capitol with a strong message in private discussions with Republican and Democratic leaders, working to reinforce American support for Ukraine. Zelensky also won favorable remarks on the next round of U.S. aid he said he needs to stave off defeat.
President Joe Biden, meanwhile, gave Zelensky a red-carpet arrival and more ceremonies than other world leaders usually receive when the Ukrainian leader arrived at the White House.
Zelensky's visit aims to soften GOP stance on Ukraine funding
According to Bannon, the heart of Zelensky's visit is the Republican members of the House of Representatives. The House GOP has stressed that they won't address the $24 billion supplemental funding for Ukraine as it isn't happening. The $24 billion was part of a $40 billion package Biden requested from Congress last month. Included in this package are $12 billion for disaster relief and $4 billion for border security. (Related: ENDLESS AID: Biden to ask Congress for supplemental aid package “north of $10B” for Ukraine)
A senior Biden administration official stated the needs were huge, and the White House was hopeful an agreement could be reached with Congress on the request, which covers only the first quarter of the present 2024 fiscal year.
However, the request faced opposition in Congress, where some GOP members – especially those with strong links to former President Donald Trump – want to cut back the billions in assistance Washington has sent to Ukraine since Russian troops invaded in February 2022. Congress previously approved aid for the Zelensky government worth $48 billion in December, before Republicans took control of the House.
Trump, the current front-runner in the race to be the Republican presidential candidate in 2024, has been critical of U.S. support for Ukraine in the war. Seventy House members supported an unsuccessful proposal in July to decrease funding for Ukraine.
In June, the House GOP under the leadership of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California signaled that any request for more assistance for Ukraine would encounter an uphill climb through Congress. A spokesperson for McCarthy said he would review Biden's proposal and the "Republican-led House will not rubber-stamp any blank-check funding requests." They added that the Biden administration's emergency funding requests must be reviewed and examined on merits consistent with the practice and principles of the House majority.
A separate Biden administration official noted that the U.S. was making good in its promise to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia. The official added that Washington won't be reluctant in requesting extra funds if necessary.
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Watch Steve Bannon criticizing the "catastrophically bad" U.S. visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky below.
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