Zelenskyy, congressional allies seek new cards in high-stakes Ukraine fight – Roll Call

Zelenskyy, congressional allies seek new cards in high-stakes Ukraine fight – Roll Call
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A White House official said Monday evening that the administration had frozen all deliveries of U.S. military and other aid to Ukraine following Friday’s dust-up between the two leaders.

“The president has been clear that he is focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well. We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution,” the White House official said. The official did not disclose how long that “review” might last, but it was clear the next move was Zelenskyy’s.

One longtime Senate ally, who has supported the billions in U.S. aid allocations to Ukraine, already appears to be playing a new hand.

“The Europeans are piling on in support of Zelenskyy. Here’s my message to the Europeans: Maybe it’s time for you to defend your continent. Maybe it’s time for you to stop hollowing out your military,” Sen. Lindsey Graham told SiriusXM on Saturday.

“And if you want to use tough rhetoric toward [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, how about back it up with some muscle? When a European leader speaks, no bad guy listens,” the South Carolina Republican said. “When Trump speaks, everybody’s on edge. I was never more proud of President Trump than I was [Friday]. He stood up for America. He refused to be lectured to.”