Biden allegedly loses temper, shouts at Zelensky after asking for more aid

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• President Biden reportedly lost his temper and shouted at Ukraine’s President Zelensky in a tense phone conversation in June, according to NBC News.
• Biden was informing Zelensky about the latest U.S. military aid package when the Ukrainian president suggested he needed more assistance.
• The U.S. has sent additional military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine in the months since the call.

President Joe Biden allegedly lost his temper and shouted at President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine during a phone call in June, according to a new NBC News report.

On June 15, Biden called Zelensky to inform the Ukrainian leader that he had secured $1 billion in military and humanitarian aid for the war-stricken country. However, Zelensky reportedly did not show enough amount of gratitude and instead started to ask for more things Ukraine needed. Biden allegedly raised his voice, telling Zelensky that American people were already being very generous, according to the NBC report.

Soon after the conversation ended, Zelensky released a video statement thanking the U.S. for its unwavering support. White House officials reportedly did not agree with claims that Biden had shouted at Zelensky, claiming instead that the president had been “direct.”

The two leaders’ relationship improved after the conversation and the U.S. has sent tens of billions in additional funding for Ukraine.

Funding for the war-stricken nation has become less certain as Republicans in Congress have expressed skepticism of Biden’s “blank check” to Ukraine. The GOP is predicted to gain control of Congress after the midterms.

“I think people are gonna be sitting in a recession and they’re not going to write a blank check to Ukraine,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said this month. “They just won’t do it. … It’s not a free blank check.”

Later, McCarthy made some clarifications that Ukraine remains a very important issue however, he noted that “there should be no blank check on anything. We are $31 trillion in debt.”

GOP Rep. Mike Turner also clarified rumors that Republicans want to end Ukraine funding. Last week, the Ohio congressman indicated that the problem for many GOP legislators was not sending aid to Ukraine, but rather the exaggerated amount the Democrats have given in recent months.

“No one in Republican leadership has called for an end to aid for Ukraine,” Turner said. “People on the Republican side are saying, ‘Why do we have to pass a $40 billion package to send $8 billion to Ukraine?’”

Source: Fox News