In Washington, UK’s Cameron Asks Lawmakers ‘To Do What We Need To Do’ for Ukraine

In a visit to Washington on Thursday, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron pleaded for US lawmakers to set aside their differences and vote for new military aid to Ukraine.

On Wednesday, a foreign aid proposal that included about $60 billion for Ukraine was killed on the US Senate floor by Republicans demanding that US immigration policy be overhauled as part of any such deal. The US border with Mexico has seen an unprecedented number of migrants in recent weeks, camping out by the newly constructed fences and creating a humanitarian crisis there on a scale not seen before.

Cameron urged the senators and representatives to consider the magnitude of the situation in Ukraine, regardless of the chaos on the US border, and do what is right for democracy.

“I’m not worried about the strength and unity and consensus and bravery of the Ukrainian people... I’m worried that we’re not going to do what we need to do,” Cameron told the Aspen Security Forum in the US capital, AFP reported.

“We’ve got to make sure we give them the weapons, the economic support, the moral support, the diplomatic support, but crucially, that military support that can make a difference,” he said.

Cameron, once the leader of Britain’s Conservative Party, was making his first visit to Washington since he was named foreign secretary, having previously served as prime minister from 2010 to 2016.

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According to Statista.com, the UK stood in third place in military contributions to Ukraine at 6.6 billion euros from the end of January 2022 to the end of July 2023. In that period, second-placed Germany had pledged about 17 billion euros and fourth-placed Norway, about 3.7 billion. The US in that span had allocated about 42 billion euros.

On Wednesday, the US Senate blocked a White House request for $106 billion in emergency aid primarily for Ukraine and Israel, but also for Taiwan and funds for the US border.

“We should pass this money to the Ukrainians,” Cameron said. “We should back them and make sure that it’s Putin that loses because if that money doesn't get voted through, there are only two people that will be smiling.” One of them is Vladimir Putin, and "the other one is Xi Jinping in Beijing," Cameron said.

“I don't know about you, but I don't want to give either of those people a Christmas present,” Cameron said.