White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Sunday made a new push for House Republicans to marshal aid to Kyiv — contending “of course Ukraine can win” its war against Russia.
Sullivan recounted on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that at the beginning of the war, most analysts expected Ukraine to fall quickly into Russian hands. Saturday marked the two-year anniversary of the start of the bloody conflict.
“We need to understand that actually, Ukraine has in many ways succeeded in thwarting the fundamental objective of Vladimir Putin, which was to subjugate the country of Ukraine,” Sullivan said of the Russian dictator.
Earlier this month, Ukraine was dealt a massive blow, when it was forced to withdraw from its eastern city of Avdiivka, marking one of Russia’s greatest battlefield victories in months.
“Ukraine didn’t have enough ammunition to defend the town,” Sullivan argued. “Ukraine still has the capacity if we provide them the tools and resources they need to be able to prevail in this war.”
Congress has been stuck in paralysis for months over whether to re-up aid to Ukraine. President Biden asked the legislative body to replenish aid in August, but months of fighting have ensued since.
Republicans have demanded that any new aid to Kyiv be paired with boosted US border security.
But even a $118 billion proposed deal for aid to Ukraine, Israel and US Indo Pacific allies that was packaged with border security reforms went belly up in the Senate earlier this month.
Days later, the Senate then passed a roughly $95 billion aid package featuring about $60 billion for Ukraine, but House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has refused to take that up in his chamber, leaving it in limbo.
“This ultimately comes down to a simple decision for one man — Speaker Johnson. If there were an up or down vote in this in the House, this would pass on a bipartisan basis,” Sullivan said.
“If he doesn’t [put it up for a vote], then the United States will not have the resources necessary to give Ukraine the kinds of tools and capacities that it needs,” the Biden official said.
But if Johnson brings up the Ukraine aid package for a vote, he also risks having GOP hardliners push a motion to oust him, as some have already threatened to do.
At least one Democrat — Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey — has contemplated trying to do an end-run around the hardliners by insulating Johnson from any effort to depose him. Johnson’s predecessor, Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), was ousted in October during a bitter spending flap.
Johnson already has his hands full trying to avert another partial government shutdown March 1. Conservative hardliners have raged against him over top-line spending figures to keep the government’s lights on.
Last week, Biden revealed that he is potentially willing to meet with Johnson to iron out their differences. The speaker had accused the White House of turning down numerous requests for a meeting.
Meanwhile, Ukrainians are keeping their eyes on Washington.
“There is not a shortage of bravery or courage on the part of the Ukrainians right now. There’s a shortage of bullets,” Sullivan said on “Fox News Sunday.”
The House is set to reconvene this week after a brief recess.
Sullivan, asked about concerns of Russia meddling in the 2024 election, argued that there is reason to be worried.
“I can’t speak to evidence today, but I can’t tell you of course there are concerns. There is a history here,” he said.
Sullivan also opined on Israel’s plans to conduct military operations in Rafah, a southern Palestinian town along the Egyptian border.
Given the high number of Palestinians who have taken refuge in Rafah, Israel has sparked fierce backlash from Egypt and other neighboring nations in the region over its ground-invasion plans.
Sullivan said he has not seen Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to evacuate the town before carrying out the war operation.
“We’ve been clear that we do not believe that a major military operation should proceed in Rafah unless there is a clear and executable plan to protect those civilians, to get them to safety and to feed, clothe and house them,” the top White House aide said.
“We have not seen a plan like that.”
He declined to say whether Biden will withhold military aid from Israel if the Jewish nation proceeds with its Rafah invasion without a clear evacuation plan for refugees.
