National Security Adviser Makes Covert Trip to Kyiv

President Biden’s prime nationwide safety official made a secret journey to Kyiv on Wednesday, as Ukrainian troopers holding off Russian troops are operating out of munitions and U.S. help stays stalled in congressional gridlock.

Jake Sullivan, the nationwide safety adviser, met with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and his senior officers “to reaffirm the United States’ unwavering dedication to Ukraine in its self-defense towards Russia’s brutal invasion,” stated a nationwide safety spokeswoman, Adrienne Watson. “He pressured the pressing want for the U.S. House of Representatives to move the nationwide safety supplemental to satisfy Ukraine’s essential battlefield wants.”

The covert journey confirmed the rising sense of urgency within the White House to stress Congress to move billions of {dollars} of help for Ukraine, a monetary package deal that the Biden administration says the nation must defend itself towards Russia.

The White House has tried, to this point unsuccessfully, to push House Republicans to help a $60 billion emergency spending plan for weapons for Ukraine and to bolster armament manufacturing within the United States.

With that funding held again and future U.S. help in limbo, the administration final week despatched Ukraine a $300 million package deal that included air protection interceptors, artillery rounds, armor programs and an older model of the Army’s longer-range missile programs referred to as ATACMS. But that package deal is almost definitely going to carry off Russia for less than a matter of weeks, U.S. officers have stated.

“Ukrainian troops have fought bravely, are combating bravely all through this battle,” Mr. Sullivan stated when the package deal was introduced, “however they’re now pressured to ration their ammunition below stress on a number of fronts.”

Mr. Sullivan’s go to got here sooner or later after Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III met with different backers of Ukraine in Germany to strategize on methods to preserve army help for Kyiv.

“Ukraine’s battle stays one of many nice causes of our time,” Mr. Austin stated.