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On Tuesday Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky unexpectedly canceled at the last minute a planned appearance via video link before US Senators mulling an emergency aid package containing over $60 billion for Kiev.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was the one to announce it to reporters: "Zelensky by the way could not make it to — something happened at the last minute — to our briefing," Schumer said.

Zelensky's prior in-person visit to Capitol Hill, via CQ Roll Call

With just weeks to go before Ukraine aid stops flowing, and amid a row in Congress which threatens to discontinue the war funding, Ukraine is now saying it will lose the war if it can't access more US funds and weaponry.

Zelensky's chief of staff issued the words Tuesday: 

But the reality is that Ukrainian forces were already losing the war, given top US officials have long acknowledged the counteroffensive has stalled and failed, even with all the weapons the US has already poured in.

Thus Yermak's statements seem more like an early blame-game: Ukraine seems to be saying it will be Washington's fault when the war is lost, and Kiev is forced to negotiate and cede territory.

Senate Republicans have tied Biden's foreign defense funding to tackling the migrant crisis at the southern border, prolonging the Ukraine aid holdup further.

Interestingly, the Senate forum that Zelensky was to address involved a classified briefing. Likely he realized he was not going to convince anyone, and his 'star status' has long since been in decline. At this moment, even the mayor of Kyiv is attacking him, calling Zelensky an "autocrat" and "corrupt" – and saying Ukraine is losing because of this.