His forging was on stage. So Volodymyr Zelensky, who worked as an actor before becoming president of Ukraine, knows that comedy, his specialty, and drama are communicating vessels.
He also knows that success is a volatile value. One day you are at the top, and the next they don’t even want you for publicity. And then you have to knock on doors, in Europe and in the United States, begging for anything, even to be an extra.
This is a melodrama. A year ago, Zelensky arrived in Washington like a hero in his olive green sweater. Both houses of the United States Congress, in joint session, applauded his courage in confronting Russia in its invasion and seizure of territories.
That role of savior of the Western world has become a nonsense. Yesterday he had to act as a front man for the political interests of the Republicans. His defense of his country has now made him a pawn in the disputes between the two parties in the United States.
Mike Johnson, the ultra-conservative speaker of the House of Representatives, gave voice to what other Republican legislators commented in the hallways. Not a cent for Ukraine if the White House and the Democrats do not first reinforce security on the border with Mexico and undertake a relevant immigration reform, with strong restrictions, limitations on the right to asylum and mass deportations of immigrants.
“There must be a transformation on the border,” Johnson bluntly commented to Zelensky, face to face, to let him know that the extra 70 billion he is begging for depend on that demand.
It was of no use for the visitor to plead with the Republicans. “If we lose, Putin wins and this will be very dangerous for the United States,” Zelensky stressed, trying to strike a chord.
“Nothing has changed, we are totally united. There is zero possibility of giving anything without an agreement on the border,” reaffirmed Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin. “I am angry and disappointed, we cannot abandon Ukraine at this moment in history,” replied Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, once the first stage of Zelensky’s day on Capitol Hill concluded.
American legislators have not passed an important law on the immigration issue for three decades. This shows that the bar for helping Kyiv is very high. It would seem that an impossible mission.
“If I were cynical, I would say that Republicans have decided to tie support for Ukraine to immigration reform because they want aid to Ukraine to fail,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, one of the Democratic leaders in the budget negotiations. “But I’m not a cynic,” he ironized.
The Ukrainian president, amid congratulations, did even worse with Johnson. They spent half an hour and the speaker later declared to the press that he had let Zelensky know that they are on his side and against the imperialist invader Putin. But he reminded him that the ball is in the court of Biden and the Democratic senators, who are the ones who can approve his immigration reform project, an area in which political confrontation is expressed like in few others.
In addition, Johnson recalled that they have been asking for clarifications for months about how aid is controlled, without receiving a response. Some colleagues are not shy about proclaiming that part of these endowments goes into some pockets. Zelensky replied that there is no corruption, no misuse, and no evidence that the weapons are used in other countries.
If help arrives, it will not be urgent. Lawmakers plan to go on vacation this week, until January 8.
At the White House, the host once again welcomed the guest with open arms. His commitment to the defense of Ukraine remains fierce.
Last week, his Government launched an urgent call to refill the coffers. The capital to arm Kyiv is on its last legs. The US has already provided 70 billion to Ukraine, making Washington the largest donor. But the war front remains stagnant.
“Kremlin allies celebrated last week when Republicans blocked aid to Ukraine,” Biden said. “Any interruption in supply capacity strengthens Putin,” she remarked. For conservatives, Russia is very far from the Rio Grande.
