Biden suggests he has path around Congress to get more aid to Ukraine, says he plans major speech

WASHINGTON (AP) — Going through a probable roadblock from Home Republicans on assist for Ukraine, President Joe Biden mentioned Wednesday he’s planning to offer a serious speech on the difficulty and steered there could also be “one other means” to offer help for Kyiv if Congress continues to balk.

“I’m going to be asserting very shortly a serious speech I’m going to make on this concern and why it’s critically necessary for the USA and our allies that we hold our dedication” to Ukraine, Biden advised reporters after giving unrelated remarks on the White Home.

White Home officers declined to say when Biden deliberate to offer his speech. The president didn’t elaborate on the alternate methodology he was taking a look at to get further army assist to Ukraine in its ongoing struggle with Russia.

“There’s one other means by which we could possibly discover funding, however I’m not going to get into that proper now,” he mentioned.

Assist for Ukraine has been a supply of rigidity and uncertainty as a number of Republicans within the Home have extreme doubts or brazenly oppose further funding to maintain the Ukrainian army.

The president mentioned the resistance didn’t “fear” him as a result of there may be broad bipartisan help. Nonetheless, final week’s deal to maintain the federal government open by way of mid-November excluded the $13 billion in supplemental assist that the Biden administration sought final month, elevating questions on simply how lengthy the U.S. might proceed to ship cash to Ukraine.

The settlement to quickly hold the U.S. authorities open got here at a steep political worth for former Home Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. On the instigation of Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, and different conservatives, McCarthy on Tuesday grew to become the primary speaker to be ousted from his submit.