Schumer leads Democratic delegation to Ukraine amid standoff over military aid

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and four other Democratic senators traveled Friday to Ukraine, where they planned to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid a standoff in Washington over billions of dollars in military aid for the war-torn nation.

The visit comes on the eve of the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

For months, Zelenskyy has warned the U.S. and other allies that his military is running out of weapons. Without an emergency infusion of aid, he said, Russia will try to get the upper hand.

Last week, Ukraine withdrew from the city of Avdiivka, a key battleground on the war front.

But U.S. aid for Ukraine has been stalled in Congress since late last year. On Feb. 13, the Senate overwhelmingly passed a $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan; the lopsided vote was 70-29. But House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has refused to put the Senate package on the House floor, saying Congress needs to protect the southern border and enact tough, new border policies before supplying Ukraine with more aid.

Earlier this month, a group of bipartisan Senate negotiators struck a deal on stricter asylum and border policies — an agreement that was endorsed by Senate leaders in both parties. But Republicans quickly abandoned the deal after former President Donald Trump and his congressional allies blasted it for not going far enough.

In a statement Friday, Schumer laid out four objectives of the visit: to show the Ukrainian people that America supports them and will fight to get the aid; to demonstrate the U.S. is not deserting NATO and its European allies; to learn about the weapons Ukraine needs and what advantages Russia would gain if the arms are not delivered; and to recognize