The foreign leader emphasized the need for continued American support amid a broader trip to the United States to detail his “victory plan” at the United Nations General Assembly in New York and with officials in Washington.

Zelensky’s plea came as lawmakers from both parties grow increasingly anxious over President Joe Biden’s refusal to allow longer-range strikes over fears of retaliation from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“The administration has been a strong ally, but it needs to give him both the tools and the permission he needs to strike the Russians deeper inside that country,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said at the Capitol on Thursday.

He added that senators “made some suggestions for how [Zelensky] can be more persuasive with [Biden].”

“The longer that we slow-walk the weapons and put restrictions on their ability to use them against Russian stockpiles, energy resources, and the like, the longer this war will go on,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), a candidate to be the next Senate GOP leader.

Congress approved an additional $60 billion in military aid for Ukraine earlier this year, bringing the total U.S. assistance appropriated by lawmakers to well over $100 billion. The administration has provided less than $56 billion in military aid since Russia’s 2022 invasion.

The White House announced Thursday ahead of a meeting with Zelensky that it would disperse an $8 billion military package to Ukraine with money passed by Congress for air defense weapons, drones, and bombs.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) echoed the call to release Ukraine from its weapons restraints, saying that the U.S. “must continue to push for the resources, equipment, and flexibility necessary to prevail against Russian tyranny.”

Zelensky signaled Ukraine may not require any additional funding if the U.S. were to provide the aid it has approved more quickly and allow them to go on offense into Russia, according to senators.

“What he said is, if we follow through on the promises that Congress has already made and that the administration is slow-walking, there may not be a need for additional resources from the United States,” Cornyn said.

Zelensky’s U.S. visit has been marred by GOP allegations of “election interference” after he stopped at a munitions factory in battleground Pennsylvania to thank workers. Zelensky separately told the New Yorker that Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance’s (R-OH) views on Ukraine were “too radical.”

Senators said the topic was not raised during the closed-door session, which featured a Q&A with Zelensky fielding questions from lawmakers.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) briefly discussed the matter one-on-one with Zelensky in the meeting but declined to divulge details. A close ally to former President Donald Trump, Graham told reporters it was still possible that the GOP presidential nominee would meet with Zelensky during the U.S. trip. No such plans were set.

David Sivak contributed to this report.