Schumer visits Ukraine, says he will ‘clarify’ to House Speaker Johnson ‘what is at stake’

Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and 4 of his Democrat colleagues arrived in Ukraine Friday morning to meet the nation’s army leaders and President Volodomyr Zelenskyy, assuring U.S. help as billions of federal help {dollars} stay in limbo.

Schumer’s go to to Ukraine — the nation that will mark two years since Russia’s invasion on Saturday — comes amid mounting stress on House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to move the Senate’s $95 billion overseas help package deal that may ship $60 billion in army help to assist the Eastern European nation defeat Russian forces. 

“When we return from Ukraine: We will make clear to Speaker Johnson—and others in Congress who are obstructing military & economic support—exactly what is at stake here in Ukraine, for the rest of Europe, for the free world Congress must pass the Senate’s national security bill,” Schumer stated in a press release.

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, left, and House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Schumer stated the journey has 4 goals: to exhibit unwavering help for the Ukrainian individuals, reaffirm America’s dedication to NATO and European allies, to acquire a complete understanding of Ukraine’s armament wants and the potential penalties of failing to meet them, and lastly “we believe we are at an inflection point in history and we must make it clear to our friends and allies around the globe that the US does not back away from our responsibilities and allies.”

The 4 senators becoming a member of Schumer in Lviv are all Democrats: Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Senate Armed Services Chairman Jack Reed of Rhode Island; Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, chairwoman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, and Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

In 2022, Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., led a delegation of Republicans to the Eastern European nation. 

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Kyrylo Budanov, the Ukraine army intelligence chief, middle, poses for an image at an undisclosed location in Ukraine on July 13. (Press Service of the Military Intelligence of Ukraine/Reuters)

Republicans stay cut up on further help to Ukraine, and the package deal faces an uphill battle within the GOP-led House once they return from recess, as lawmakers are already paving the way in which for a backup plan. Zelenskyy has been urging the U.S. to proceed its monetary help to the war-torn nation for months. 

Last week, the House unveiled a 30-page different proposal as Republican lawmakers shot down any likelihood of the Senate’s $95 billion help package deal making it to the ground. Johnson and different Republicans have insisted that the southern border must be secured earlier than approving further Ukraine help.

Both Democrats and plenty of Republicans nonetheless argue that it is in one of the best curiosity for the U.S. to assist Kyiv stay unbiased of Russian President Vladimir Putin and that serving to defeat the authoritarian chief is crucial to avoiding a wider, extra intense battle.

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President Biden, proper, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy go to Saint Michael’s cathedral, amid Russia’s assault on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 20, 2023. (REUTERS/Gleb Garanich)

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However, Republicans who’ve been crucial of Ukraine argue the army funds lack correct oversight. Lawmakers level to a January Department of Defense (DOD) report, one of the latest in a sequence of presidency watchdog publications highlighting deficiencies in overseeing U.S. help to Ukraine, that outlines the inadequacies of each the Biden administration and the Ukrainian armed forces in successfully monitoring U.S.-supplied weapons. 

The report from the inspector normal particularly delves into enhanced end-use monitoring (EEUM), a classification reserved for weapons that “incorporate sensitive technology,” are “particularly susceptible to diversion or misuse,” or may have “serious consequences” if diverted or misused.

According to the report, a considerable 59%, or $1.005 billion out of the whole $1.699 billion worth of EEUM-designated weapons despatched to Ukraine, have been categorised as “delinquent.” This signifies that they weren’t monitored in accordance with DOD requirements.

Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.