Biden urges Republicans to pass Ukraine aid package after Alexei Navalny’s death

Joe Biden appealed directly to Republican holdouts to pass a major package of funding for Ukraine on Friday, warning “history is watching”.

The US president spoke from a White House podium following the death of Alexei Navalny, the Russian dissident, whom he praised as a “powerful voice” against Vladimir Putin.

He angrily criticised the House of Representatives for taking a two-week break while a major package of military aid, including $61 billion (£48 billion) for Ukraine, remained stalled in Congress.

“It’s about time they step up, don’t you think? Instead of going on a two-week vacation,” he told reporters during the hastily convened address.

His voice rose as he repeated: “Two weeks, they’re walking away. Two weeks. What are they thinking?

“My God, this is bizarre, and it’s just reinforcing all of the concern and almost – I won’t say panic – but real concern about the United States being a reliable ally. This is outrageous.”

Asked if the events of the last few days would help secure passage of the spending for Kyiv, Mr Biden said: “I hope to God it helps”.

He added: “But I mean, the idea we need anything more [to happen] to get [aid] to Ukraine... What are these guys doing?”

In addition to Navalny’s death, US officials warned Russia is formulating plans for a nuclear weapon in space, deemed by US intelligence to pose a major “national security threat”.

Mr Biden’s comments were echoed by Mike Pence, the former US vice president, who urged his Republican colleagues to “put aside politics” and help Kyiv.

“America is the leader of the free world. If America is not leading the free world, the free world is not being led,” Mr Pence said.

Ammunition shortages

A major $95 billion (£75 billion) foreign security bill for US allies including Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan passed the US Senate with bipartisan support following months of negotiation this week.

However, Mike Johnson, the Republican Speaker of the House, has so far refused to commit to bringing the bill to a vote in the chamber - a requirement of its final passage.

Mr Johnson, whose position is under threat from hardliners in his party, suggested he was more focused on pursuing further Russian sanctions.

“As Congress debates the best path forward to support Ukraine, the United States, and our partners, must be using every means available to cut off Putin’s ability to fund his unprovoked war in Ukraine and aggression against the Baltic states,” he said.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said on Friday that it could be several weeks before the chamber considers a package of funding for Ukraine amid a broader debate over federal spending that could trigger a US government shutdown.

“I don’t want to speak for the speaker, but I do think he wants to get through [that] first,” Michael McCaul told journalists at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor.

American military support is seen as increasingly vital for Ukraine as its troops suffer from crippling ammunition shortages across almost the entirety of the front lines.

‘Putin must feel a reaction’

European governments have failed to hit their own targets for increased arms production, leaving them unable to make up for any shortfall in US support.

Frustrated colleagues in the House have attempted to bypass Mr Johnson by drafting their own bipartisan proposal to support US allies.

The proposal would strip provisions for humanitarian aid, and therefore the size of the Senate’s bill, in a bid to make it more palatable to conservative hardliners.

“I think this is a good spot to be if you’re Republican… it’s fiscally more responsible,” one of the backers, Nebraska congressman Don Bacon, told NBC News.

Ben Wallace, the former defence secretary, said Western governments had to respond to Navalny’s death by doubling down on their support for Ukraine.

“For every action, Putin must feel a reaction,” he said, urging Congress to sign off on US aid for Kyiv, Germany to donate long-range Taurus cruise missiles and for the tightening of punitive sanctions on Moscow.

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