Biden, Scholz urged US lawmakers to approve military aid package to Ukraine

WASHINGTON

US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged US lawmakers on Friday to approve a military aid package for Ukraine amid the ongoing standoff in the American Congress.

"The failure of the United States' Congress in not supporting Ukraine is close to criminal neglect," Biden said as he hosted Scholz in the White House's Oval Office. He called the holdout "outrageous."

Scholz expressed hope that the House of Representatives will decide to give necessary support to Ukraine.

“Without the support of United States and without the support of European states, Ukraine has not a chance to defend its own country,” he said.

Scholz said Germany and the US have to play a role to keep peace in the world. “This is especially so looking at the Russian aggression against Ukraine, which is still ongoing,” he said.

He noted the former Fox News host Tucker Carlson's interview with Russian President Wladimir Putin, which he “ridiculous,” and accused Putin of “always telling a lot of lies about the history of this war."

On Wednesday, US Republican senators voted to block a bipartisan package combining more security at the US-Mexican border and foreign aid to Israel and Ukraine.

A group of bipartisan senators had assembled the package when Republicans refused to vote for Ukraine aid unless new border measures were also included. But at the last minute, Republicans rejected the package after former US President Donald Trump, who is seeking to return to the Oval Office, complained that he did not want to give President Joe Biden a legislative win.