On Monday, President Joe Biden of the United States stated that he is contemplating implementing more sanctions against Moscow in response to the passing of Alexey Navalny, a Russian opposition leader who was imprisoned.

“We already have sanctions,” Biden told reporters at the White House, but the United States is looking at others. He directly blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin and his “thugs” for Navalny’s death last week.

Biden has faced challenges in getting a $95 billion bill for global security aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan approved by Congress. This has coincided with Navalny’s passing, despite the objections of many Republican politicians.

The spending package was approved by the Democratic-controlled Senate with support from both parties. However, Speaker Mike Johnson, who leads the narrow Republican majority in the House of Representatives, has refused to bring it to a vote on the House floor. This is partly due to opposition from former President Donald Trump regarding the new aid.

Johnson has expressed dissatisfaction with the foreign aid plan, stating that it does not include any additional measures to prevent the large number of undocumented immigrants crossing into the United States from Mexico. This is despite efforts from Senate Republicans, under the direction of Trump, to prevent the consideration of a bipartisan plan to strengthen immigration regulations.

Johnson has been requesting a meeting with Biden regarding the issue. The president, who is a strong supporter of increasing aid to Ukraine, stated on Monday that he is open to meeting with the House speaker.

Biden stated to reporters on Monday, while on the South Lawn of the White House, that he would be willing to meet with the individual if they had anything to communicate.

Meanwhile, Biden criticized Republican legislators for failing to provide ongoing support for Ukraine’s efforts to protect itself against Russia’s invasion over the past two years.

Biden expressed his disbelief at the way they are handling the threat from Russia, their relationship with NATO, and meeting their responsibilities. He stated that he has never witnessed anything like it before.

The spokesperson for Johnson stated that the speaker had been attempting to arrange a meeting with Biden for several weeks. Raj Shah expressed appreciation for Biden’s willingness to meet with Speaker Johnson to discuss the most effective way to protect the country, and stated that the meeting was long overdue.

On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia is taking advantage of the delayed delivery of military aid to Ukraine.

He stated that there is currently a very challenging circumstance occurring in multiple areas of the front line, particularly where Russian soldiers have gathered the most resources.

Zelenskyy expressed concern about the exploitation of Ukraine’s aid delays during his visit to the front line near Kupiansk. He emphasized that this issue is highly delicate.

He arrived following Russia’s success in Avdiivka, Ukraine.

The recent capture of the city by Russian forces has sparked strong responses from both Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. regarding the effectiveness of the $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine. This aid is a part of a larger assistance package and there are debates on whether it can help Ukraine resist Russian attacks and disrupt Moscow’s progress.

The White House released a statement confirming that during a phone call on Saturday, President Biden mentioned the loss of Avdiivka and linked it to the delay in U.S. aid for Ukraine.

Although a majority of Democrats and nearly half of Republicans in Congress support the package, Johnson remains adamant that he will not be pressured into approving the foreign aid.

During an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” Senator Michael Bennet, a Democrat, expressed support for sending aid to the House for approval, stating “let’s just get it over there.”

“The Ukrainians have recently experienced their first loss since May, largely due to being outnumbered by 10 to 1 by the Russians. We have the ability to assist in resolving this issue for them, and we should do so,” stated Bennet.

Senator J.D. Vance, a Republican from Ohio and a supporter of Trump, stated that the issue in Ukraine is the lack of a defined conclusion. Additionally, Vance expressed concern that the U.S. does not produce enough weapons to sustain conflicts in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the possibility of a situation arising in East Asia.

Vance argued that if the package is approved, it will not significantly alter the situation on the battlefield. He noted that the manufacturing capacity of America has its constraints.

“Is it possible for us to send the same amount of weapons that we have been sending for the past 18 months?” he inquired. “Unfortunately, we are unable to do so. Despite the amount of funding provided by the U.S. Congress, there are restrictions in place.”

During a Sunday interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” former GOP Representative Liz Cheney stated that Congress must approve the crucial bipartisan legislation to aid Ukraine, and emphasized that Johnson possesses the authority to facilitate its passage.

She stated that he could potentially declare that he plans to reconvene the House of Representatives today. This would allow him to bring the bill, which has already been approved by the Senate, to be voted on tomorrow. The goal would be for it to reach Joe Biden’s desk by tomorrow night, and for the aid to be sent to Ukraine.

On Monday, Canada announced that it will deploy 800 drones to Ukraine in the upcoming spring to assist in its defense against Russia.

The Department of National Defense stated that these drones are essential for surveillance and gathering intelligence. They can also be utilized for transporting and delivering supplies.

On Monday, at a conference in Tokyo attended by government and business leaders from Japan and Ukraine, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida promised to aid in Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts.

According to Kishida, the conflict in Ukraine is ongoing and remains challenging. Despite this, he believes that investing in economic recovery is not only beneficial for Ukraine’s future, but also for Japan and the global community as a whole.

Kishida also promised to ease restrictions on visas and revealed that the Japan External Trade Organization will establish an office in Kyiv.

The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, announced that over 50 cooperation agreements have been signed between the two countries. These include an intergovernmental convention aimed at preventing double taxation, which is of great significance for Japanese businesses looking to initiate new projects in Ukraine.

Shmyhal spoke on the X social media platform, stating that by working together, we have the ability to transform this obstacle into a chance for advancement and success in the future. He also mentioned that Japan’s post-World War II reconstruction and economic success can serve as motivation for us.

Japan has promised over $10 billion in assistance to Ukraine following Russia’s large-scale invasion two years ago. The majority of this support has been in the form of financial and humanitarian aid.

According to a recent report by the World Bank, European Union, and United Nations, Ukraine will require $486 billion over the next ten years for reconstruction projects.

On Monday, when the delegations from Ukraine and Japan convened, the Ukrainian air force disclosed that there were recent instances of Russian air strikes. These included four unmanned aerial vehicles that were successfully intercepted by Ukraine’s air defense systems.

According to the Ukrainian air force, they stopped the drones in the Kharkiv region. There are currently no reports of any harm or injuries.

This report includes information from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters.

Source: voanews.com