Biden’s Warning: Failure to Support Ukraine Could Have Global Consequences

TFD – Explore Biden’s urgent warning and Harris’s commitment to bolster support for Ukraine amidst escalating tensions with Russia.

MUNICH Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rallied support for Ukraine’s war against Russia at the high-profile Munich Security Conference on Saturday. He stated that world leaders and U.S. senators should realize that a Russian victory in Ukraine would have consequences that extend beyond its borders.

Zelenskyy’s call to action followed international leaders’ recent outburst over the death on Friday of well-known Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny while he was being held at a Siberian prison and Ukraine’s withdrawal this week from Avdiivka, a crucial front-line battleground against Russia.

Invoking the reinstatement of a global system of norms, Zelenskyy characterised Russia’s incursion as a “war against all rules.”

Later in the day, Vice President Kamala Harris stood behind Zelenskyy at a joint press conference, praising his perseverance and victories in the ongoing conflict with Russia and reaffirming that the United States will support Ukraine.

In a later exclusive interview with Andrea Mitchell of NBC News, Harris stated that the US is going through a “moment of reckoning.”

“Everyone must play a part. Additionally, we have made it quite evident that the US Congress needs to take action, Harris told NBC News.

“This is the time for America to truly show the world by deeds where we stand on matters such as whether or not we stand with our friends in the face of severe brutality. I also suggest that we support our buddies.

As the focus shifted to the Israel-Gaza conflict in recent months, Zelenskyy used his floor time to rally support for his nation’s protracted and mostly ineffective fight against Russia. He was greeted with a sustained standing ovation as he urged the world to “act now” to oppose Russia.

In front of the gathering security officials from the United States, the European Union, China, and the Middle East, he demanded more artillery and long-range weapons.

To thunderous acclaim, he declared, “Ukrainians have been holding for 724 days,” promising that his country would reclaim its territory and defeat Russia in war.

This week, Ukrainian forces made the biggest public retreat they had since leaving the city of Bakhmut in May by withdrawing from the strategically important town of Avdiivka.

The withdrawal from Avdiivka coincided with postponements of more US military assistance to Ukraine, which has been stuck in Congress for months as a result of escalating Republican resistance.

Later on Saturday, Harris and President Joe Biden announced their plans to “secure the resources and weapons” that Ukraine needs to defeat Russia at a separate joint press conference with Zelenskyy.

According to Harris, if Congress rejects aid, there is no backup plan. “The only thing to do is make sure that Ukraine gets what it needs,” says Plan A.

Harris also emphasized Zelenskyy’s claim that Navalny’s death in custody was a clear message to all attendees of the Munich Security Conference rather than merely another instance in Putin’s lengthy history of eliminating his opponents.

According to Harris, Navalny’s passing served as both a reminder of “why our fight for Ukraine is so important” and “proof of Putin’s brutality.”

Zelenskyy previously stated, “There is no one for whom the ongoing war in Europe does not pose a threat.” “The status of Ukraine and all of Europe in the world are not the only things that this war defines.”

Speaking out against Putin’s assault on Ukraine, Navalny vanished from the Russian correctional system in December while serving a thirty-five-year sentence. He ultimately reappeared at a high-security prison colony located in a remote hamlet above the Arctic Circle.

According to a statement from the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service, he passed away on Friday after becoming ill after going for a walk.

In response to Navalny’s passing on Friday, Biden expressed his “hope[d] to God it helps” to persuade Congress to approve further funding for Ukraine.

His remarks were made on Friday, when House Speaker Mike Johnson called an early recess of Congress without clearing a $95 billion package for the Defense Department, which includes more than $60 billion for Ukraine.

In his news conference with Harris, Zelenskyy described the aid package as “vital” for his country and stated that he was relying on the United States and had not looked into other sources of finance.

In an interview with NBC News on Saturday, Harris cited widespread bipartisan support despite resistance from Republican leaders to say she was “certain” the financing for Ukraine would pass if it came to a vote in the House.

“We will never forget the failure to support Ukraine at this crucial time,” Biden declared on Friday, adding that the U.S.’s hesitation on the country was escalating concerns about its accountability as an ally throughout the world.