GOP doubts rise on Ukraine-border deal despite last-ditch Zelensky trip

Senate Republicans on the eve of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky’s arrival in Washington are casting increasing doubt they will reach a deal unlocking aid to his country by the end of the year.

Help for Ukraine is linked to talks on a border deal, and senators on Monday said they were no closer to reaching an agreement on the issue, which would push work on the $111 billion package requested by President Biden into 2024. The package was to cover money for Ukraine, Israel, the border and other priorities.

On Monday, the lead GOP negotiator conceded that time was almost up on the talks.

Asked if the border talks are set to spill into the new year, Sen. James Lankford (Okla.) responded, “At this point, yeah.”

“The clock’s been running out over the weekend,” he added.

The Senate is scheduled to leave town by the end of the week, and the House departs a day earlier, giving negotiators only days to strike a deal — something both sides see as a massive, if not impossible, hill to climb even after weekend talks. 

Democrats say they made slow progress over the weekend, with the White House becoming more involved. 

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who is leading negotiations for Democrats, told reporters that discussions will continue throughout the week and that senators will “continue to try to get to a result.” 

But Lankford complained that the talks over the weekend were largely between Democrats and the White House, saying that he was not “looped in” and that discussions among all parties needed to happen in the coming days.

“We’re at a bit of a standstill,” Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said Monday. 

The standstill would be a significant loss for Zelensky, who is arriving to Washington in a last-ditch effort to win over support. 

Zelensky will address senators Tuesday morning and is set for separate sit-downs with Biden and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who has signaled support for another round of aid, though it is conditional on border talks.

Senate Democrats were hopeful Zelensky could help convince Republicans that time is of the extreme essence. 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) argued Zelensky’s visit, his third to Washington, will be his “most important visit of all.” 

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Schumer’s deputy, told reporters that some lawmakers are suffering from “limited attention spans” after the U.S. urged Zelensky and Ukraine to fight head-on in the months immediately after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. 

“They are ready to turn the channel … away from Ukraine. I think that’s unfair and unrealistic,” Durbin said. 

Republicans said they wanted to hear from Zelensky but dismissed the possibility that he could change their minds.

“Obviously, we want to be able to hear … what’s going on,” Lankford said, pointing to what Ukraine’s partners across the globe are doing to help in the war. “That’s important to hear. We want to hear progress in what’s occurring. Those things are incredibly important.”

“But if you’re talking about anything [Zelensky] could say to say, ‘Hey, pay attention to us but not your own country’ — no,” Lankford said. “We’ve got to be able to deal with all these things together.”

Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) was even more blunt, saying he was “offended” by the visit.

“Zelensky is parachuting into this domestic political debate about prioritizing our own border. He’s not here to tell us anything we haven’t heard before, he’s here to badger and browbeat Speaker Johnson and Senate Republicans into forgoing our negotiations on border security in order to write him another blank check,” Vance said on Steve Bannon’s “War Room.”

Despite the pessimism from Republicans, Democrats maintained that a path still exists toward striking a deal eventually. Murphy said that he believes a bill could be crafted that could win north of 70 votes in the upper chamber — a stark reversal in rhetoric from last week, when he and Senate Democrats walked away from the negotiating table. 

The Connecticut Democrat, though, has a problem on his left flank. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.), the chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, issued the following joint statement calling on Biden to reject “Trump-era immigration policies” that are being discussed in the border negotiations. 

“We are deeply concerned that the President would consider advancing Trump-era immigration policies that Democrats fought so hard against — and that he himself campaigned against — in exchange for aid to our allies that Republicans already support,” the pair said in a statement, adding that “caving” to the demands would set a “dangerous precedent.” 

Without a deal, the Senate is expected to adjourn at the end of the week after the chamber passes the annual defense policy bill — though Schumer has also indicated that he wants to advance the promotions of roughly a dozen 4-star generals still being held by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.). 

However, top Democrats indicated they are willing to see where discussions go. Durbin told reporters that the situation at the border is “not sustainable,” pointing to the number of crossings last week that hit record highs — figures that Lankford repeatedly brought up to reporters during the course of negotiations. 

However, they are ready to pin the blame on the GOP if talks go south. 

“We are not there yet, but as a sign of good faith, Democrats are going to keep trying,” Schumer said. “If Republicans keep insisting on Donald Trump’s border policies, then they will be at fault when a deal for aid to Ukraine, Israel and humanitarian aid to Gaza fall apart.”