WASHINGTON — The President of the United States, Joe Biden, said this Wednesday that he is willing to make concessions in negotiations with Republicans over their demands for reforms in the frontera with Mexico if in exchange they approve more aid for Ukraine.
“This is very serious,” Biden said. “I am willing to make significant concessions on the border. We need to fix the border system that doesn’t work. It’s broken. And so far I haven’t received a response” from Republicans, who want to stop the arrival of migrants, he said.
Biden pressured Congress to approve more military aid for Ukraine, warning that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin would not stop in Ukraine and if he attacks a NATO member there will be “American troops fighting Russian troops.”
Speaking at the White House, Biden said Republicans who insist on changes to border policies as a condition of aid “are playing a dangerous game with our national security,” even as he said he was open to some changes at the border.
“Significant concessions”
Aid to Ukraine is so crucial, in his opinion, that he says he is willing to make “significant concessions” to Republicans, who have long demanded more drastic measures to stop the arrival of migrants in an irregular situation across the border with Mexico. .
“This cannot wait,” Biden said in a speech at the White House.
“Frankly, I think it’s amazing that we’ve gotten to this point, where Republicans in Congress are willing to give Putin the biggest gift he could hope for,” he added.
Meeting with Zelensky and the G7
Just before, Biden held a video conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and G7 leaders to discuss how to shore up Western aid to kyiv.
Biden warned that if Putin, who ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, defeats his pro-Western neighbor “he will not stop there.”
“He will move forward, he has made it quite clear,” and if Russia attacks a member of the Atlantic Alliance “then we will have something that we did not seek, and that we do not have today: American troops fighting Russian troops,” he said.
Zelensky canceled a videoconference intervention with US senators on Tuesday without giving a reason.
The Senate is scheduled to vote this Wednesday on a $106 billion emergency package that includes aid for three fronts: Ukraine, Israel’s war against the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and border security with Mexico.
Funds to Ukraine running out
Senate Republicans make their support conditional on Biden’s Democrats accepting reform the asylum system and apply stricter measures at the border.
“I’m willing to make significant concessions on the border. We need to fix the broken border system. It’s broken. And so far I haven’t heard back,” Biden said.
The White House has warned that funds for Ukraine will run out before the end of the year if Congress does not approve more aid.
Western support for Ukraine appears to be eroding just as kyiv’s counteroffensive falters.
Last week Putin signed a decree to increase Russian forces by about 170,000 troops.
Moscow has recently hinted at a possible peace agreement with a reduced and neutral Ukraine, which kyiv flatly rejects.
Biden has asked Congress to approve $106 billion, two-thirds of those funds for Ukraine; and a third for Israel and other security issues in the United States, but faces stiff resistance on Capitol Hill. Some Republicans have grown tired of giving aid to Ukraine, after the United States has already sent $111 billion, and others insist on drastic changes to border policy as a condition for approving the aid.
Source: With information from AFP and AP
