Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff said on Tuesday that the postponement of U.S. assistance for Kyiv being debated in Congress would create a “big risk” of Ukraine losing the war with Russia.
The remarks by Andriy Yermak were some of the frankest yet from a senior Kyiv official as uncertainty swirls over the future of vital U.S and European Union assistance packages as Ukraine’s war with Russia rages on.
If the aid is postponed, “it gives the big risk that we can be in the same position to which we’re located now,” he said, addressing the audience in English.
“And of course, it makes this very high possibility impossible to continually liberate and give the big risk to lose this war.”
On Monday, White House officials said the U.S. was running out of time and money to help Ukraine fight its war against Russia.
President Joe Biden’s administration asked Congress in October for nearly $106 billion to fund ambitious plans for Ukraine, Israel and U.S. border security but Republicans who control the House with a slim majority rejected the package.
U.S. officials hope they can still get a significant package approved.
Yermak singled out the threat of no more direct budgetary support as a problem. The Ukrainian government expects to have a $43 billion budget deficit next year.
