US President Joe Biden met yesterday in the Oval Office of the White House with Czech Prime Minister Petar Fiala and used the occasion to again call The House of Representatives in the US Congress to immediately accept the additional funding already approved by the Senate for Ukraine and Israel, the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
Fiala's visit follows an announcement by the Czech government that it is sending 1 million artillery pieces to Ukraine, which Kiev says it desperately needs on the battlefield against the Russian invasion. With the visit, Biden wants to highlight the efforts that other countries are making to support Ukraine.
"As the Czech Republic remembers, Russia will not stop in Ukraine,", Biden said. He called on Congress to approve additional funding for the US to contribute to Ukraine's aid. "They have to do this now,", Biden said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin "will not stop and will threaten Europe, the United States and the whole world if it is not stopped in Ukraine," the president added, quoted by France Press.
Fiala praised Biden for his leadership in supporting Ukraine, adding: "We are also doing everything we can.
"In 1968 I saw Russian tanks on the streets of my city and I don't want to see that again," said the Czech Prime Minister.
American President Biden called the Czech Republic a "great ally" in NATO, and Fiala noted that his country's decision to buy F-35 fighter jets from the US will significantly strengthen the cooperation and security of the two countries.
Biden welcomed the Czech Republic's initiative for joint purchases of artillery ammunition outside the European Union in support of Ukraine. For several months, the Czech Republic has been trying to convince other countries to finance a fund for the purchase of ammunition that the EU is unable to produce in sufficient quantities.
As for the aid plan, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, said Sunday he intended to introduce a bill to help Israel after the massive Iranian missile and drone attack over the weekend, but did not say what he would do about the issue of financial aid to Ukraine.
Yesterday, the White House opposed that approach.
"We will not accept any text" only for Israel. This will not help either Israel or Ukraine. It will only delay much-needed aid," said White House spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre.
The US - Ukraine's biggest military backer - has not sent significant aid to Kiev since December 2022. Without these funds, "Ukraine will lose the war," President Volodymyr Zelensky recently warned.