Zelensky arrives at Capitol in last-ditch plea for $61B to fight Russia

WASHINGTON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived Tuesday morning at the Capitol to woo skeptics of additional US aid before heading to the White House for a press conference with President Biden to warn funds are running low to resist Moscow’s invasion.

Zelensky, wearing his now-familiar wartime outfit of a sweatshirt and olive pants, was flanked by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), both supporters of further funding, as he arrived for a briefing with senators.

The 45-year-old Zelensky received a hero’s welcome last December when he addressed a joint meeting of Congress, but this time he faces mounting opposition to more funding — both in US polling and among legislators.

Zelensky also will meet with newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) who has tried to forge a middle ground approach, including by supporting greater oversight as a condition of more funding.

Johnson told radio host Hugh Hewitt on Tuesday he was inclined to let the chamber to take its Christmas break without a deal on aid spending, saying, “I don’t know what else to do. I’m not going to have everybody sit here through Christmas twiddling their thumbs.”

Johnson told The Post in an interview last month that he was interested in redirecting more than $300 billion in seized Russian assets to fund the war, but that idea hasn’t come to fruition and talks in Congress have focused mostly on GOP efforts to tie new funds to a boost in US-Mexico border security.

President Biden in October requested another $61.4 billion in funding for Kyiv — on top of $113 billion already approved — and asked Congress to tie it to a more popular $14.3 billion outlay for Israel following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks that killed an estimated 1,200 people.

Biden and his aides have repeatedly claimed that funding is running out and that without American aid the Ukrainian government could be powerless to stop Russia’s nearly two-year-old invasion.

Republicans have responded that the Biden administration has given no indication of what would constitute a victory for Ukraine.

“They’ve not explained to us what the endgame is,” Johnson told Hewitt Tuesday. “I mean, our, the US ambassador to Ukraine told me in my office just a few weeks ago that she believes the endgame is a returning to the 1991 boundary lines, which is to retake Crimea.

“And I said ‘Ma’am, are you aware that that’s not what your boss says?’ I mean, they don’t even know in the White House itself what the strategy is.“

The House approved Israel funding without the larger Ukrainian request last month, reflecting substantial resistance to more funding in the lower chamber.

Some senators opposed to additional Ukraine funding vented about Zelensky’s visit.

After Zelensky said Monday, “if there’s anyone inspired by unresolved issues on Capitol Hill it is just [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and his sick clique,” Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) responded, “Great to see Zelensky has all the nuance of a resistance Twitter liberal. Disgraceful. And gross that he’s coming to the Senate to apply pressure against Republicans as we fight for more border security.”

A Pew Research Center poll released this month found that 31% of Americans say that the US is providing “too much” support to Ukraine, while 18% say “not enough” and 29% say “about right.” There was a heavy partisan skew, with 48% of Republicans saying “too much,” versus 16% of Democrats.

A Wall Street Journal poll released Monday found 37% of voters saying the US was doing “too much” for Ukraine, with 20% saying “not enough” and 31% saying Washington was doing “about the right amount” to support Kyiv.