“Biden announces $200M aid for Ukraine amidst intense press questioning.”
During an Oval Office meeting between President Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, White House reporters bombarded them with questions, prompting Biden to express frustration at the onslaught. As the press peppered both leaders with inquiries following their discussion, Biden, seemingly surprised by the deluge of questions, raised his hand and urged, “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa, hush up a second, Okay?”
Amid the subdued chatter, Biden proceeded to address the reporters, clutching a stack of papers, announcing, “I just signed another $200 million drawdown from the Department of Defense for Ukraine,” directing gratitude toward Zelenskyy for the impending aid. As reporters’ queries resumed, Biden waited until their departure from the room, where an official confirmed the allocation of the promised $200 million from Pentagon stockpiles, detailing the arsenal, ammunition, equipment, and spare parts earmarked for Ukraine.
During Zelenskyy’s recent visit to the U.S., apart from the Oval Office meeting, he engaged with prominent American political figures, including Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and new Speaker Mike Johnson. Biden’s encounters with journalists have been marked by various reactions, such as his remark to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins in 2021, suggesting she was in the “wrong business” for her question about Putin, or his response to NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell the same year, where he referred to her as a “pain in the neck.”
Furthermore, this year, Biden criticized New York Post reporter Steven Nelson for posing a “dumb question” about allegations related to Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings. Recently, Biden has notably bypassed reporters, choosing to ignore questions regarding his son’s legal issues, underscoring a consistent trend of selective engagement with the media.
