CNN: Biden Blames Congress for Fall of Ukrainian City of Avdiivka

RUSH TRANSCRIPT:
WHITFIELD: “President Joe Biden and Ukrainian president Zelenskyy have just spoken CNN‘s Priscilla Alvarez is here with more on this. How did this conversation happen?”

ALVAREZ: “Readout from the White House right now about this conversation that occurred earlier today. And again, it just speaks to this urgency from the White House of showing support for Ukraine as they continue this war against Russia. And as the us hasn‘t been able to deliver additional funding despite their asked to Congress. Now, I‘m going to read part of this readout to you. It says quote this morning, Ukraine‘s military was forced to withdraw from Avdiivka after Ukrainian soldiers had to ration ammunition due to dwindling supplies as a result of congressional inaction resulting in Russia‘s first notable gains in months. It goes on to say that President Biden emphasized the need for Congress to urgently, urgently passed the national security supplemental funding bill to resupply Ukrainian forces. This is something that us officials had been expressing concerns about recently these Russian gains in this part of Ukraine. And it‘s a reflection they say, and the president is suggesting staying here of a slowdown in aid from the United States to Ukraine. So the president in this phone call with the Ukrainian president continuing to say, as the vice president did earlier today, that the us stands by Ukraine, but also raising alarm bells that they haven‘t been able to get that additional funding despite the asked to Congress and despite the Senate passing of foreign aid package earlier this week, those $60 billion to Ukraine all of this, of course, coming as the house remains on recess and will be on recess for the next two weeks. So there‘s no indication as of now that this funding would happen anytime soon. The president takes taking a moment here in this call to note that without these funds, there are consequences and we‘re already seeing those consequences with this withdrawal from f dka bread.”