Biden lost his temper via phone call when Zelensky asked for more military help

First modification: 01/11/2022 – 00:19

US aid packages to Ukraine have allowed the Eastern European country to resist Russian attacks and even recapture many of the cities that were under Moscow’s control, since much of the money is earmarked for military assistance.

However, as reported exclusively the American media ‘NBC News’four months ago The relationship between Washington and kyiv could have fractured after their leaders had different perspectives of these millionaire aid to the country under attack.

Calls between the two heads of state to discuss the situation in Ukraine have become very common; However, people familiar with this June call told ‘NBC’ that Zelensky heard the announcement of another billion dollars in aid from Biden himself and his response was to list everything they were not receiving up to that moment.

At that moment, Biden lost his temper and raised his voice, according to this media report: “The American people are being quite generous, my Administration and the US Army are working hard to help Ukraine” .

And although Biden was direct about the problems in the handling of Ukrainian military channels, the exchange was not heated. The ‘NBC’ sources reported that the US president simply expected more gratitude.

That same day, Volodymyr Zelensky, in a recorded statement, thanked Washington, praising Biden for his generous help. Since then the relationship between the two has improved.

A spokesman for the US National Security Council declined to comment on the story, while a Ukrainian government spokesman declined to respond to a request for comment.

More US money for Ukraine?

These details of what happened on that call come just as the Democratic president prepares to ask Congress to approve a new batch of aid for Ukraine.

“The White House has not specified an amount publicly. Ukraine lawmakers and lobbyists expect between $40 billion and $60 billion, and some officials familiar with the discussions expect the number to be around $50 billion.

According to a ‘Pew Research Center’ survey conducted in September, the number of Americans who are “extremely or very concerned” about Ukraine’s loss in the war fell from 55% to 38% and the proportion of those who say they are “not or not at all concerned” about Russia’s victory increased from 16% to 26%.

Now Biden must face criticism from Republicans and Democrats who were not present when Congress approved earlier funding for Ukraine, as administration officials continue to devise strategies to win the war.

On October 12, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin convened a meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group in Brussels, a regular meeting of allies, to discuss how to get more weapons and equipment into Ukrainian military hands. This meeting, in particular, had a new urgency beyond the regular attendance of ammunition and launchers.

Other friction in US-Ukrainian relations

The disagreement between Biden and Zelensky in June was not the only one. At the beginning of October, US intelligence agents reported that their investigations indicated that part of the Ukrainian government was behind the murder of Daria Dúgina, the daughter of the Russian ultranationalist philosopher, Alexander Dugin, Vladimir Putin’s ideologue. The death of the woman, by means of a car bomb on the outskirts of Moscow, was another reason that was added to the list to justify the intensification of the siege of Ukraine.

Since the attack became known and, despite the fact that a Russian group called the National Republican Army claimed responsibility for the attack, Russia has accused Ukraine of Dúgina’s death. kyiv always denied the accusations, but the conclusions of the US agents distanced themselves from Ukraine, partially. However, this has not stopped US aid to Ukraine from continuing either.

On Saturday, October 29, the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, informed his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, that Washington “will continue to support Ukraine’s efforts to regain control of its territory, strengthening it militarily and diplomatically.”

with local media