"It’s utterly disgraceful. We are about to go through the United States Senate tomorrow — a very undignified process where Zelensky comes to town and demands that you give him — the American taxpayer gives him — another $61 billion, and, by the way, if you want to secure your border first, you are actually a Putin puppet. He said this publicly today," Vance told Fox News on Monday.
"I think it’s disgraceful, I think it’s grotesque and I think it comes at a time when Republicans are actually showing some unity and some courage about the importance of the American southern border. So this is purely designed to apply pressure on Republicans to give up their fight on the border and write another blank check to Ukraine. I’m not doing it and I don’t think Republicans should go forward at all," Vance added.
Zelensky is scheduled to meet with US President Joe Biden at the White House on Tuesday. He is also expected to sit down with Senate leaders Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell, as well as House Speaker Mike Johnson on Capitol Hill for a talk that comes amid a deadlock on a supplemental aid package for Ukraine.
Republican lawmakers have insisted on the inclusion of border security measures in the bill, delaying its passage, while the Biden administration has warned that the US may run out of resources to support Ukraine if Congress does not approve further assistance.