Dem Senators pitch $60 billion in funding as only way Ukraine can win the war, but can't define victory

Four United States senators went to the Munich Security Conference to hear Ukrainian soldiers and government official ask for more aid to the country in the war against Russia. They came back pitching Biden's ask for $60 billion in war funding, but they couldn't define what a victory would look like.

Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Mark Warner (D-VA) were among the senators and other lawmakers who went traveled to the German city the to see what other demands for aid were being asked of the US, according to Politico. 

Warner recounted that the passage of the aid in the House that Speaker Mike Johnson has said is "dead on arrival" would be a "game changer” for Ukraine. 

“I am not aware of any other way for, in the short term, the Ukrainians to get the arms and ammunition and tools they need, other than from the United States," Warner added. However, Politico reports that many of the senators in interviews with the outlet side-stepped questions when it came to how Ukraine could win. 

Whitehouse said that it is “heartbreaking” to hear soldiers recount what has been happening on the battlefield. “For young Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines, this is a persistent topic of conversation,” he said of a story told about a soldier who would scroll through his phone waiting to see if the US would send more aid to the country.  

Defense leaders in Munich reportedly feared for Ukraine and have concerns that the nation will lose to Russia in the war that has now gone on for two years. Politicians and other officials used the conferences as an opportunity to push the $60 billion aid packages after over $113 billion has already been spent. The outlet said there was a feeling among the lawmakers who went that the plan now was to "just keep the Ukrainian military from collapsing."

President Kamala Harris seemed staunch about sending more aid after the conference, saying there is not plan B to the aid. “There’s only Plan A," she said, indicating the spending package must be pushed through the House.  

The conference reportedly had a feeling of unease that the US would not be able to send any more aid because of conservative House members preventing the package from going to the floor for a vote.