CNN —
Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Cameron has urged US lawmakers to “lift the morale” of Ukraine by passing an aid package for Kyiv that has become entangled in Republican quarrelling.
Cameron, a former British prime minister, told CNN during a trip to Washington, DC, on Thursday that the US is “the lynchpin” of the Western coalition backing Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
His intervention comes a day after Republicans in the Senate blocked foreign aid from advancing in protest over the package’s lack of changes to border and immigration policy.
“Most of the people I met on the Hill yesterday support backing Ukraine, because it’s the right thing to do,” Cameron told CNN, though he avoided commenting on Republicans’ demands on immigration. “This is an investment into their success, and the worst thing in the world would be to allow Putin a win in Ukraine – not just because that would be bad in itself, but (because) he’d be back for more.”
The Senate has struggled for weeks as it tied immigration and border security policy – one of Congress’ historically most divisive issues – to a legislative package for sending aid to key US allies, among them Israel and Ukraine.
Republicans’ insistence on changes to border policy have led to increased tension on Capitol Hill, including a classified briefing earlier this week that devolved into a closed-door shouting match.
Cameron met with House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday as part of a two-day charm offensive aimed at reaffirming support for Ukraine. On Thursday, he will meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“There’s no doubt that America coming forward with this package will lift the morale of Ukrainians, (and) it will make sure Europe focuses on doing more,” Cameron said. “If you add up military and civilian (support), European nations are doing more than the US, and I think that’s important and quite right.”
Cameron was Britain’s prime minister for six years before resigning in 2016, in the wake of voters’ decision to leave the European Union, a move that he opposed. He unexpectedly returned to politics last month when he accepted the role of foreign secretary.
Britain has taken a leading role in providing support and assistance to Kyiv since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
