 European Union warns Russian victory in conflict will have serious consequences for U.S. and Europe. A Ukrainian loss to Russia would hurt Washington's credibility as a security provider. The European Union's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Josep Borrell, warned during a trip to America, Kiev can't wait for the presidential election in the U.S. to get more aid, he added. Borrell spoke to the press in Washington after meeting senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He said his message was that Ukraine badly needed the additional assistance which was currently blocked in the U.S. House. The next months will be decisive. Many analysts expect a major Russian offensive this summer and Ukraine cannot wait until the result of the next U.S. elections. Brussels' top diplomat said, a Russian victory in the conflict will have enormous repercussions for America and for the system of alliances built around the U.S. and Europe, he added. Should that happen, no country could be sure anymore that Washington would come to help any ally under attack. Since Ukraine is not a NATO member, the U.S. is not bound by any obligation to defend it. U.S. President Joe Biden has pledged to help it fight Russia for as long as it takes to prevail. Last year, Ukrainian forces attempted to launch a major counter-offensive using Western-donated heavy weaponry but failed to score any significant territorial gains. Amid Kiev's battlefield failures, the issue of continued aid has become embroiled in U.S. parties and politics. The Republican-controlled House has blocked Biden's request for an additional $60 billion in assistance with Speaker Mike Johnson, arguing that the White House was unable to present a convincing strategy for achieving victory in Ukraine. Borel pledged the European Union's continued military support for Kiev but said the U.S. needed to pull its weight, too. Moscow perceives the Ukraine conflict as a U.S.-led proxy war against Russia and has stated that it is risking far more than the West. U.S. tries to persuade Iran to use its influence over Houthis. The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden reportedly held behind the scenes negotiations with Iran to solicit Tehran's help in pressuring Yemen's Houthi rebels to halt their attacks on commercial cargo ships in the Red Sea. The talks were held in January in Oman. The Financial Times reported citing unidentified U.S. and Iranian officials. Omani officials acted as intermediaries shuttling between the American and Iranian negotiators so they could communicate without making direct contact with each other. The Houthi attacks have continued unabated, suggesting that the secret negotiations failed to achieve the desired results. The Financial Times did not specify whether Iran rejected the U.S. request or tried unsuccessfully to persuade the rebels to cease their rocket and drone attacks. Iranian leaders have claimed that although Tehran supports the militant group politically, the Houthis act independently. Iran has reportedly sought to avoid escalation of tensions with Washington, discouraging its affiliated militias from further attacks on American military bases in Iraq and Syria after three U.S. troops were killed in a drone strike near the Jordanian-Syrian border in late January. An Iranian official told the publication that when a key general visited Baghdad last month, he advised Iraqi militias to manage their behavior in a way that will not allow America to engage Iran. U.S. negotiators led by White House Middle East advisor Brett McGurk and envoy Abram Paley also expressed concerns about Iran's expanding nuclear program according to the report. Iran was represented by its Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Khani, who is Tehran's lead nuclear negotiator. The Biden administration sees indirect communication channels as a method for raising the full range of threats emanating from Iran. The Financial Times said the White House negotiators conveyed to the Iranians what they need to do in order to prevent a wider conflict as they claim they want. A second round of talks reportedly scheduled for last month was delayed because McGurk was focused on trying to help broker a ceasefire in the Israel Hamas War.