U.S. President Joe Biden pleaded with Republicans on Wednesday for a fresh tranche of military aid for Ukraine, warning that a victory for Russia in Ukraine would strengthen Moscow to such an extent that it could then attack NATO allies and draw U.S. troops into a war.
The U.S. announced Wednesday $175 million in additional Ukraine aid from its dwindling funds for Kyiv but Biden failed to convince Republican senators to back a larger $110 billion emergency spending bill that included a large chunk of aid for Ukraine (of around $50 billion) amid continued disputes over southern border security.
Biden signaled a willingness to make significant changes to U.S. border policy in an effort to win Republican support but Senate Republicans voted against moving forward with the bill, demanding more immigration limits.
"If Putin takes Ukraine, he won't stop there," Biden said, Reuters noted. Putin will attack a NATO ally, he predicted, and then "we'll have something that we don't seek and that we don't have today: American troops fighting Russian troops," Biden said.
"We can't let Putin win," he said.
The address drew an angry response from Moscow, with Russia's Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov commenting on Telegram that Biden's comments were "provocative rhetoric unacceptable for a responsible nuclear power."