Zelenskiy’s Appeal for Ukraine Aid Fails to Break GOP Demand for Border Deal

Border, immigration deal remains sticking point in negotiation
Ukrainian president met privately with House, Senate lawmakers

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, from right, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine’s president, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, while arriving at the US Capitol in Washington.Photographer: Ting Shen/Bloomberg

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By Erik Wasson, Zach C Cohen, and Billy House

December 12, 2023 at 3:31 PM UTC

Updated on

December 13, 2023 at 12:05 PM UTC

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy came to Congress on Tuesday to appeal for more aid to resist Russia’s invasion, and Republican leaders told him to first wait for an elusive US deal on immigration.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he told Zelenskiy that Republicans “stand with him and against Putin’s brutal invasion” but won’t send more aid until Democrats accept “a transformative change” in US immigration and border policies.