Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that “millions will be killed” in his country’s war with Russia without additional funding from the United States.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins asked Zelensky in an interview to respond to comments made by Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), who claimed Ukraine’s outcome in its war will not be changed even if it receives the President Biden’s $60 billion aid request. Zelensky said he wasn’t sure if Vance “understands what is going on here.”
“To understand it is to come to the front line to see what’s going on, to speak with the people, then to go to civilians to understand … what will [happen to] them without this support. And he will understand that millions … will be killed. It’s a fact,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky said Sunday that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since the start of the invasion. He also said his government does not know exactly how many civilians have been killed, but he estimated it to be “tens of thousands of civilians” in occupied areas of Ukraine.
“Thirty-one thousand Ukrainian military personnel have been killed in this war. Not 300,000, not 150,000, not whatever Putin and his deceitful circle have been lying about. But nevertheless, each of these losses is a great sacrifice for us”, Zelensky said at the “Ukraine. Year 2024” forum in Kyiv, according to The Associated Press.
The latest U.S. estimate said Russia has had more than 300,000 casualties in the war since invading Ukraine, according to a senior U.S. defense official.
Additional aid to Ukraine has been held up in Congress as House Republicans have tied stricter border provisions to approving more funding for the country.
A bipartisan Senate deal on border security that included aid for Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific allies was unveiled earlier this month, but the deal fell apart after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said it was dead on arrival.
The Senate later approved $60 billion for Ukraine and $14 billion in security assistance to Israel in a bipartisan vote — a measure Vance opposed. This legislation was also rejected by Johnson over its lack of border provisions.
The White House and Democratic leadership have since called on the House to approve funding for Ukraine.
President Biden is scheduled to host the four congressional leaders at the White House on Tuesday to discuss funding for Ukraine and efforts to avert a potential government shutdown as Congress is facing a pair of looming spending deadlines in the coming weeks.
The Hill has reached out to Vance’s office for comment.
The Associated Press contributed.