Now the sense of urgency has faded and the Republican opposition has taken control of the Lower House.
But his speech to congressmen still received two standing ovations, reported Democratic Senator Chris Murphy on X (formerly Twitter).
According to Republican Michael McCaul, head of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Zelensky claimed “that he was winning” on the ground.
“I asked him, what do you need? What is your plan for victory?” added the congressman, who trusts that new aid of 24 billion dollars will be approved.
And that is despite arduous negotiations with the Republicans, whose leader in the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, is under pressure from the right wing of his party to cut off supplies to Kiev.
Everything is also complicated by the very short-term risk of budget paralysis in the United States, if congressmen do not reach an agreement before October 1 on at least a provisional finance law.
The negotiations come up against, in part, the budget dedicated to military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
It is “vital” that Congress disburse the $24 billion requested by the executive to support the Ukrainians, John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said Wednesday.