众议院进步人士周二收回了一项信他们在周一给乔·拜登总统发送了一封信，敦促他直接与俄罗斯就结束对伊朗的制裁进行谈判战争在乌克兰，现已进入第九个月。
“这封信是几个月前起草的，但不幸的是未经审查就被工作人员公布了，”华盛顿进步党团主席普拉米拉·贾亚帕尔说。在周二的一份声明中说道。贾亚帕尔说，她接受释放它的责任。
明尼苏达州民主党人伊尔汉·奥马尔(Ilhan Omar)周二在给美国广播公司新闻(ABC News)的一份声明中证实，这30名进步人士在夏天写了这封信，“以回应华盛顿向乌克兰施压不要谈判的报道。”
收回之前，民主党人和共和党人都强烈反对，包括众议院议长南希·佩洛西。在此之前不到一天，贾亚帕尔澄清了这封信的含义，此前立法者对其进行了初步批评。
贾亚帕尔周一表示:“让我明确表示:面对俄罗斯非法和令人发指的入侵，我们作为民主人士团结一致，明确承诺支持乌克兰为民主和自由而战，信中没有任何内容主张改变这种支持。”"外交是拯救生命的重要工具，但它只是一种工具."
当被问及白宫是否建议进步党团收回这封信时，白宫新闻秘书郭佳欣·让-皮埃尔周二拒绝对这封信发表评论。
“我们赞赏两党的努力，”她在谈到迄今为止为战争努力提供的资金时说，“我们将继续与国会议员就如何继续前进进行对话，以支持乌克兰的努力，”让-皮埃尔在她的每日新闻发布会上说。
佩洛西在周二的讲话中发誓，乌克兰的援助将包括在年底的拨款法案中。虽然写这封信的进步人士敦促与俄罗斯直接对话，但他们中没有人反对向乌克兰提供更多援助。
她在克罗地亚萨格勒布举行的国际援助会议峰会上说:“国会已经为乌克兰争取到了600多亿美元的安全、经济、人道主义和预算援助。”。"今年秋天，当我们通过综合拨款法案时，还会有更多的项目出台."
Nancy Pelosi listens to the speech of Ukraine's President via a video link on the opening session of the International Crimea Platform summit in Zagreb, on October 25, 2022.
达米尔·森卡尔/POOL/法新社
佩洛西在讲话中明确表示，美国将继续捍卫乌克兰的民主，“直到赢得胜利”这些评论使她成为似乎反对进步党团信息的最高级别的民主党人，其他民主党议员对此提出了批评。
亚利桑那州民主党众议员鲁本·加莱戈(Ruben Gallego)在推特上反驳了这封信，他说:“结束战争的方式?迅速赢得胜利。如何快速取胜?通过给乌克兰武器来打败俄罗斯。”这封信也惹恼了一些签名者。“我于6月30日签署了这封信，但自那以来发生了很多变化，”加州民主党人萨拉·雅各布斯在推特上写道。“我今天不会签字的。”
威斯康星州民主党人马克·波坎也在推特上说，这封信是在夏天写的，直到现在才公布。“我不知道它为什么现在熄灭了。糟糕的时机，”他说。
这封现已撤回的信呼吁与莫斯科直接接触，这将标志着拜登提供数十亿美元军事和经济援助的战略发生重大转变，因为最近几个月与俄罗斯的谈判陷入僵局。
众议院共和党人计划为通过对乌援助进行抗争。俄亥俄州众议院情报委员会(House Intelligence Committee)共和党人迈克·特纳(Mike Turner)周一告诉记者，随着民主党议员在即将到来的跛脚鸭会议期间附上他们最终的愿望清单，年底的资金将是“疯狂的，疯狂的西部支出”。
“乌克兰在众议院的资金问题不在于乌克兰，”他说。“所有附加在它身上的东西都与乌克兰无关。”
特纳后来暗示，包括领袖麦卡锡在内的众议院共和党将支持向乌克兰提供更多武器。
这一切都发生在中期选举前几周，共和党人可能会接管众议院的控制权。上周，众议院少数党领袖凯文·麦卡锡告诉Punchbowl新闻，下届国会中的共和党众议院多数党不会支持对乌克兰的“免费空白支票”，因为美国人在国内面临经济衰退。
在周一的新闻发布会上被问及这封信时，白宫新闻秘书郭佳欣·让-皮埃尔说，政府“非常感谢”自今年早些时候以来在国会对乌克兰援助的“两党支持”。
让-皮埃尔说，她没有看到这封信，但白宫将“继续保持这些沟通渠道的畅通，并继续与国会议员进行对话。”
After backlash, House progressives retract letter to Biden on Ukraine strategy
House progressives on Tuesday retracted aletterthey sent Monday to President Joe Biden in which they urged him to directly negotiate with Russia on an end to thewar inUkraine, now in its ninth month.
"The letter was drafted several months ago, but unfortunately was released by staff without vetting," Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said in a statement Tuesday. Jayapal said she accepts responsibility for its release.
Minnesota Democrat Ilhan Omar confirmed in a statement to ABC News Tuesday that the 30 progressives wrote the letter over the summer "in response to reports that Ukraine was being pressured by Washington not to negotiate."
The retraction follows backlash from both Democrats and Republicans, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. It also comes less than a day after Jayapal clarified the letter's meaning after initial criticism from lawmakers.
"Let me be clear: we are united as Democrats in our unequivocal commitment to supporting Ukraine in their fight for their democracy and freedom in the face of the illegal and outrageous Russian invasion, and nothing in the letter advocates for a change in that support," Jayapal said Monday. "Diplomacy is an important tool that can save lives -- but it is just one tool."
When asked if the White House advised the Progressive Caucus to retract the letter, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday declined to comment on the letter.
"We appreciate the bipartisan effort," she said about funding for the war effort to date, "and we are going to continue to be in conversations with members of Congress on how to continue to move forward in order to support Ukraine in their efforts," Jean-Pierre said at her daily press briefing.
Speaking Tuesday, Pelosi vowed that Ukrainian aid would be included in an end-of-year funding bill. While the progressives who penned the letter urged direct talks with Russia, none of them have opposed more aid for Ukraine.
"Congress has secured over $60 billion in security, economic, humanitarian and budget assistance for Ukraine," she said at an international aid conference summit in Zagreb, Croatia. "And more will be on the way when we pass our omnibus funding bill this fall."
In her remarks, Pelosi made it clear that the U.S. will continue defending democracy in Ukraine "until victory is won." Those comments make her the highest-ranking Democrat to seemingly buck the Progressive Caucus' message, which other Democratic lawmakers have criticized.
Arizona Democrat Rep. Ruben Gallego pushed back on the letter on Twitter, saying, "The way to end a war? Win it quickly. How is it won quickly? By giving Ukraine the weapons to defeat Russia."The letter also ruffled feathers among some who signed it. "I signed this letter on June 30, but a lot has changed since then," California Democrat Sara Jacobs tweeted. "I wouldn't sign it today."
Wisconsin Democrat Mark Pocan also said in a tweet that the letter was written over the summer and held for release until now. "I have no idea why it went out now. Bad timing," he said.
Directly engaging with Moscow as the now-retracted letter called for would mark a major shift from Biden's strategy of providing billions in military and economic aid as talks with Russia have faltered in recent months.
House Republicans plan to put up a fight on passing Ukraine aid. Top House Intelligence Committee Republican Mike Turner of Ohio told reporters Monday that the end-of-year funding is going to be "the wild, wild west of spending" as Democratic lawmakers attach their final wish list of items during the upcoming lame-duck session.
"The problem with Ukrainian funding in the House is not Ukraine," he said. "It's all the things that are being attached to it that have nothing to do with Ukraine."
Turner later signaled that the House GOP, including Leader McCarthy, would support providing more weapons to Ukraine.
It all comes weeks before the midterm elections in which Republicans could take over control of the House. Last week, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told Punchbowl News that a Republican House majority in the next Congress would not support "a free blank check" for Ukraine as Americans face a recession at home.
Asked about the letter during her press briefing Monday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration is "very thankful" for the "bipartisan support" for Ukrainian aid it has enjoyed in Congress since earlier this year.
Jean-Pierre said she had not seen the letter but that the White House would "continue to keep those lines of communication open and continue to have conversations with members of Congress."
