Successful visit?

Ukraine is winning.

That was the message Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy brought to Washington, DC, today, first to Congress, then later to the White House where he sat down with US President Joe Biden. But he was also asking for help to finish the job.

While the White House and many members of Congress from both parties continue to back US assistance to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression, a growing campaign by some lawmakers against additional Ukraine aid has complicated efforts to boost funding as a government shutdown hangs in the balance. Meanwhile, the White House is declining—for now—to provide Ukraine with the long-range missiles it seeks.

Zelenskyy’s visit was a stark contrast from nine months ago.

The message from the Biden administration and from a majority of bipartisan lawmakers is that US support for Ukraine remains strong, but it’s impossible to ignore a growing chorus on Capitol Hill that may suggest otherwise. Zelenskyy’s visit to Congress today was a stark contrast to his visit in December.

Nine months ago, his speech to a joint session of Congress was met with a standing ovation; Today, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy denied the Ukrainian president’s request for another speech. Instead, Zelenskyy met one-on-one with McCarthy, some members of the House, and a bipartisan group of senators.

Nine months ago, members of Congress donned blue and yellow and waved Ukrainian flags, proclaiming that US support for the war effort would not falter. Today, some lawmakers on the Hill didn’t even want to be photographed with Zelenskyy for fear of what it would mean for their political futures. 

Today, both houses of Congress are held hostage by a small but loud group of Ukraine skeptics who say the United States shouldn’t send more weapons and money, that the counteroffensive hasn’t delivered as promised, that it distracts the United States from China, and that the United States can’t afford to support Ukraine in the long run. Republican infighting is on full display: Just last week, a group of four Republican lawmakers penned a letter to Biden urging him to “provide Ukraine with the missiles it needs to win,” mainly Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS.

Only days later, a group of Republicans from both chambers sent a letter to the head of the Office of Management and Budget, opposing additional money and weapons to Ukraine. The Biden administration’s recent request for another $24 billion from Congress in supplemental funding for Ukraine hangs in the balance. Watch this space closely over the coming weeks.