President Joe Biden warned that the United States is at risk of being pulled into a direct clash with Russia if the Kremlin succeeds in its war against Ukraine.
Biden’s comment follows Russia’s massive aerial attack across Ukraine on Friday. Kyiv air force sources said that about 110 missiles struck Ukraine, hitting hospitals, residential buildings and a shopping center. At least 31 citizens were killed in the attack and another 120 wounded, according to Ukraine officials reported by Reuters.
“Overnight, Russia launched its largest aerial assault on Ukraine since this war began,” Biden said in a statement released Friday. “It is a stark reminder to the world that, after nearly two years of this devastating war, Putin’s goal remains unchanged. He wants to obliterate Ukraine and subjugate its people. He must be stopped.
The 22-month-long war has raised tensions between Russia and members of the NATO alliance, who have backed Ukraine’s fight through billions of dollars in military aid and weaponry. Support for Kyiv, however, has started to waver in countries like the U.S., where Republican lawmakers have stopped sending additional funding to Ukraine unless a deal can be reached that also boosts aid for America’s immigration system.
Biden said Friday that Ukraine’s forces successfully intercepted a number of the missiles and drones fired by Russia thanks to the American-provided air defense systems at Kyiv’s disposable. He added, however, that unless congressional lawmakers take “urgent action in the new year,” the U.S. will not be able to continue to provide Ukraine with “weapons and vital air defense systems.”
Biden earlier warned Republicans that withholding aid for Ukraine could pose a security threat for the NATO alliance and, subsequently, the U.S. The White House’s final aid package for Kyiv, which totaled $250 million, was released this week.
“The stakes of this fight extend far beyond Ukraine,” Biden repeated Friday. “They influence the entirety of the NATO alliance, the security of Europe, and the future of the transatlantic relationship.
“When dictators and autocrats are allowed to run roughshod in Europe, the risk grows that the United States gets pulled in directly. And the effects reverberate around the world. We cannot let our friends and partners down. We cannot let Ukraine down. History will judge sharply those who fail to answer freedom’s call.”
When reached for comment, Johnson’s office referred Newsweek to a statement following the speaker’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this month, during which the speaker told Zelensky “that we stand with him and against Putin’s brutal invasion. The American people stand for freedom and they’re on the right side of this fight.”
“I have asked the White House since the day that I was given the gavel as Speaker for clarity. We need a clear articulation of the approach to allow Ukraine to win,” Johnson added. “What the Biden Administration seems to be asking for is billions of additional dollars with no appropriate oversight, no clear strategy to win, and none of the answers that I think the American people are owed.”
Update 12/29/23, 2:32 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with new comment and background from House Speaker Mike Johnson.