Zelenskyy says US withheld $16 billion in previously agreed aid to Ukraine
The United States has withheld $16 billion in assistance to Ukraine despite previous agreements, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, urging Kyiv to rebuild bipartisan support in Washington following the Democratic Party's victories in the US midterm elections.
Speaking to Ukrainian broadcaster TSN on the sidelines of the Ibero-American Summit in Madrid, Zelenskyy was asked whether the newly elected Congress could approve another aid package for Ukraine.
"We have to work on this," he said.
"Whether anyone likes it or not, with all due respect to everyone, Ukraine has no choice but to strengthen itself — at least as long as the war continues," Zelenskyy said. "We certainly need to raise the issue of the $16 billion that was frozen and the $16 billion that was not provided under previous agreements and decisions."
The president did not specify which agreements or assistance programs the $16 billion referred to.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine needed to engage with the new political landscape in the United States and consolidate the bipartisan support it already enjoys.
"We need to move quickly. We need to bring together the bipartisan support we have. Understanding the shift in the balance of power, we must build the dialogue properly," he said.
He added that Ukraine's chances of securing additional US assistance could now improve.
Democrats take control of Congress
The Democratic Party won control of both chambers of Congress in the November 3 midterm elections, securing at least 54 seats in the Senate and more than 240 in the House of Representatives.
The results included Democratic victories in traditionally Republican states, including Texas, Kansas and South Carolina.
Reuters previously reported that Democratic control of Congress could open the door to renewed US assistance for Ukraine and efforts to prevent President Donald Trump from easing sanctions on Russia.
According to Reuters, bipartisan support for Ukraine could allow lawmakers to assemble the two-thirds majorities needed in both chambers to override a potential presidential veto.
Trump told the New York Times that he was prepared to accept the election results and work with Democrats. He also attributed Republican losses partly to the fact that his name was not on the ballot.