>>> THERE IS ALSO BREAKING NEWS
HERE IN THE U.S.
UKRAINE'S PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY
BEFORE THE CAMERAS IN WASHINGTON
WITH PRESIDENT BIDEN, WITH HIS
URGENT PLEA FOR HELP FROM THE
U.S. IN TRYING TO FIGHT OFF
RUSSIA.
BUT THAT FUNDING IS BEING
BLOCKED BY REPUBLICANS AND THEIR
DEMANDS TONIGHT.
PRESIDENT BIDEN PROMISING THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE WILL NOT WALK
AWAY FROM UKRAINE, BUT THE
REALITY IS, THAT FUNDING IS
BEING BLOCKED.
REPUBLICAN LEADERS LISTENING TO
ZELENSKYY'S PLEAS DURING
MEETINGS ON THE HILL TODAY, BUT
NOT MOVED TO ACT.
THE PRESIDENT TONIGHT SAYING
THOSE WHO STAND IN THE WAY OF
THIS URGENT HELP ARE GIVING
PUTIN THE GREATEST CHRISTMAS
GIFT THEY CAN POSSIBLY GIVE HIM.
ZELENSKYY LATE TODAY SAYING, WE
ARE FIGHTING FOR US AND FOR YOU,
TRYING TO REMIND ANYONE
LISTENING OF THE STAKES UP
AGAINST RUSSIA.
THE REPUBLICANS BLOCKING THIS
ARE SAYING NO MORE MONEY UNTIL
THE WHITE HOUSE DOES WHAT WE
WANT ON THE BORDER.
PRESIDENT BIDEN ARGUING HELP FOR
UKRAINE SHOULD NOT BE HELD
HOSTAGE.
OUR CHIEF WHITE HOUSE
CORRESPONDENT MARY BRUCE LEADING
US OFF FROM WASHINGTON TONIGHT.
>> Reporter: IT'S A FAR CRY FROM
THE HERO'S WELCOME HE RECEIVED A
YEAR AGO, ADDRESSING A JOINT
SESSION OF CONGRESS.
TONIGHT, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY BEHIND
CLOSED DOORS WITH LAWMAKERS,
PLEADING FOR MORE HELP AGAINST
RUSSIA.
>> WELL, MR. PRESIDENT, WELCOME
BACK.
>> Reporter: IN THE OVAL OFFICE,
A WARM EMBRACE FROM
PRESIDENT BIDEN.
BIDEN WARNING UNLESS CONGRESS
APPROVES HIS REQUEST FOR ANOTHER
$61 BILLION IN AID BY THE END OF
THE YEAR, UKRAINE WILL RUN OUT
OF MONEY AND RUSSIA COULD WIN
THIS WAR.
>> PUTIN IS BANKING ON THE
UNITED STATES FAILING TO DELIVER
FOR UKRAINE.
WE MUST -- WE MUST -- WE MUST
PROVE HIM WRONG.
IT'S STUNNING THAT WE'VE GOTTEN
TO THIS POINT.
>> Reporter: THE PRESIDENT
POINTING THE FINGER SQUARELY AT
REPUBLICANS.
>> THE HOST OF A KREMLIN-RUN
SHOW LITERALLY SAID, AND I
QUOTE, WELL DONE, REPUBLICANS.
THAT'S GOOD FOR US.
>> Reporter: ZELENSKYY WITH THIS
PLEA.
>> IN UKRAINE, WE ARE FIGHTING
FOR OUR COUNTRY AND FREEDOM, AND
ALSO IN EUROPE.
WE SAY, "FOR OUR FREEDOM AND
YOURS."
>> Reporter: BUT REPUBLICANS
WON'T APPROVE THE NEW AID
PACKAGE UNLESS THE PRESIDENT
AGREES TO TOUGH NEW IMMIGRATION
RESTRICTIONS.
>> OUR FIRST CONDITION ON ANY
NATIONAL SECURITY SUPPLEMENTAL
SPENDING PACKAGE IS ABOUT OUR
OWN NATIONAL SECURITY FIRST.
THE BORDER IS AN ABSOLUTE
CATASTROPHE.
>> Reporter: THE PRESIDENT SAYS
HE'S WILLING TO COMPROMISE, BUT
ADDING THIS --
>> COMPROMISE IS HOW DEMOCRACY
WORKS, AND I'M READY AND OFFERED
COMPROMISE ALREADY.
HOLDING UKRAINE FUNDING HOSTAGE
IN AN ATTEMPT TO FORCE THROUGH
AN EXTREME REPUBLICAN PARTISAN
AGENDA ON THE BORDER IS NOT HOW
IT WORKS.
>> David: BUT IT DOES APPEAR TO
BE WORKING AT LEAST FOR NOW.
MARY BRUCE WITH US LIVE FROM THE
WHITE HOUSE.
AND MARY, AS YOU POINTED OUT,
WHAT A DIFFERENCE FROM A YEAR
AGO WHEN ZELENSKYY WAS WELCOMED
AS A HERO, ADDRESSING A JOINT
SESSION OF CONGRESS.
INSTEAD, THIS VISIT, HE HELD
MEETINGS, PLEADING FOR MORE
HELP AGAINST RUSSIA.
TONIGHT, IT WOULD APPEAR NO HELP
BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
PERHAPS EVEN LONGER.
THE REPUBLICANS WHO ARE BLOCKING
THIS APPEAR TO BE DIGGING IN
HERE.
>> Reporter: DAVID, THEY ARE NOT
BACKING DOWN.
AND TONIGHT, THERE IS NO CLEAR
PATH FORWARD.
IT IS NOT CLEAR WHAT IS GOING TO
SATISFY REPUBLICANS' IMMIGRATION
DEMANDS, OR WHERE THE PRESIDENT
IS WILLING TO COMPROMISE.
BIDEN IS WARNING, THEY HAVE TO
GET THIS DONE BEFORE THE
HOLIDAY, BUT SENATE REPUBLICAN
LEADER MITCH McCONNELL SAYS THAT
IS PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE.