Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised U.S. senators in a private meeting Tuesday that Kyiv will provide transparency for how it uses U.S. aid as Congress weighs more funding, according to lawmakers in the room.
Mr. Zelenskyy’s latest trip to Washington includes meetings with lawmakers and President Biden as another $60 billion in aid hangs in the balance in a stalled $110 billion emergency national security package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
“[Mr. Zelenskyy] made it very clear, he said there would be no acceptance of any corruption whatsoever on the deployment of any American resources whatsoever within his country,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, South Dakota Republican. “If we see corruption here, we go after the people that are causing the corruption. He is doing the same thing there.”
The pledge from Mr. Zelenskyy sought to quell longstanding concerns from U.S. lawmakers, particularly Republicans hesitant of doling out more foreign aid.
The U.S. has given Ukraine $111 billion to beat back Russia’s unprovoked military invasion. Of that, $67 billion has gone to the American military-industrial base for weapons and supplies, as well as Defense Department operations; $27 billion for non-military and non-humanitarian such as economic and civilian security assistance; $10 billion for humanitarian relief; and $7 billion for other uses, according to the White House Office of Management and Budget.
The European Union has provided roughly $90 billion to date.
But with negotiations between Senate Democrats and Republicans stalled over GOP demands to end the record stream of illegal crossings along the U.S. southern border, lawmakers are scheduled to depart Washington at week’s end for the holidays without passing any additional aid.
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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