Top Republican Insists McCarthy Has Shown Ukraine ‘Strong Support’ and Wants to Send More Weapons Despite Zelensky Snub

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, spoke with reporters after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky behind closed doors on Capitol Hill.

Zelensky had requested to deliver another joint address to Congress, but was denied by House Republicans as GOP divisions regarding the war in Ukraine bubbled to the surface.

McCaul, however, offered strong support for the Ukrainian war effort and insisted Ukraine will get the $24 billion aid package before Congress.

“I asked, ‘What do you need? What’s your plan for victory? What do you need?’” McCaul told reporters of his conversation with Zelensky.

“Two things in particular, the air cover, the F-16s and the attackers. Needs a longer-range artillery to hit Crimea, where the Iranian drones are coming out of. He doesn’t have that right now. His troops are going in with no air cover. They have to take the mines by hand at nighttime. We wouldn’t send our troops into that situation,” McCaul continued, adding:

So we need to give them everything they need if this administration won’t give it to them. Then I submitted that we write it in our appropriations bill. We write the what? The weapons that he asks for that this administration won’t give. We write that in our appropriations bill. And I think the Democrats at the table will be Steny Hoyer and Nancy Pelosi to the whip and chairman. Mr. Meeks, we all agree.

“Now, did he say anything about the aid package, the $24 billion aid package, and what it would mean for Ukraine?” an off-camera reporter asked.

“Of course, I mean, they need it and they’re going to get it,” McCaul replied, adding:

I said, you know, the majority of the majority support this. I know there’s some dissension on both sides, but I said war of attrition is not going to win this. That’s what Putin wants because he wants to break the will of the American people and the Europeans. We can’t afford a war of attrition. We need a plan for victory and we need to do it soon.

McCaul was asked exactly how Ukraine will get more funding and he replied, “There are a lot of political machinations right now, but I assure you we’re going to get it passed because this cause is just.”

“When I was in Poland, seeing the refugees coming out, they said this is like 1939, Hitler invading Poland. This man has moral courage and moral clarity. And the will of the Ukrainian people is far stronger than the will of the Russians,” the Texas Republican added.

“Chairman McCall, can I ask. Leader Jeffries walked through here with President Zelenskyy. Speaker McCarthy did not. There’s no photos today of the speaker meeting with President Zelensky,” another reporter asked.

McCaul rebutted that claim saying they did take photos during their closed-door meeting.

“I’m sorry, in front of the press and walking in,” Clarified the reporter.

“Is that disappointing though, that the speaker isn’t coming through here?” the reporter pressed on the lack of public support McCarthy showed Zelensky during his visit.

“The speaker, like me, has shown strong support, but we’re frustrated with the administration’s slowness in the weapons. And the speaker and I agreed with Zelensky, who he has to be nice because we’re giving him things. But we said, what do you need? And, you know, the take away of the speaker was you need the attackers, you need the F-16s and you needed them a year ago, and it’s taken too long so we can write this into the supplemental. And that would be my intention,” McCaul concluded.

Watch the full clip above via C-SPAN.