US House Speaker Mike Johnson has pledged to push forward the long-delayed Ukraine aid bill sought by President Joe Biden, as Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress remain deadlocked over further foreign military assistance.
The $95 billion package was passed by the US Senate in February, with a focus on providing substantial aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia, while it also includes more aid for Israel and Chinese Taipei – also known as Taiwan.
In a post on X, Johnson outlined the intention to provide aid to Israel and Ukraine, along with support for allies in the Indo-Pacific, and detailed plans for strengthening national security through countermeasures against adversaries.
“There are precipitating events around the globe that we’re all watching very carefully,” Johnson told reporters after a GOP conference meeting Monday evening. “And we know that the world is watching us to see how we react.”
Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky has expressed concern over the delay in approving additional weapons for Ukraine, attributing the rising battlefield losses to the shortage of foreign-supplied ammunition and air defenses.
“If Congress does not help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war,” Zelensky warned last week.
Aid for Ukraine puts Johnson in a tight spot, with opposition from ex-president Donald Trump and far-right House lawmakers questioning the billions allocated for Kiev’s war against Russia.
With a slim Republican majority in the House, Johnson had blocked a vote on the security supplemental, ignoring pleas from Zelensky and other US allies.
Meanwhile, efforts by Republicans to detach aid to Ukraine from funding for Israel have been met with opposition, as many legislators are pushing to tie their domestic policy agenda to the Israeli aid package.
“We won’t be voting on the Senate supplemental in its current form,” Johnson told reporters Monday evening, “but we will vote on each of these measures separately in four different pieces.”
He noted that votes on the separate bills could be held by Friday evening, with members having the option to introduce amendments that might slow down the proceedings.
“We’re discussing whether they would be merged together in one package that’s sent to the Senate or if it goes over as individual measures,” Johnson said.
“My personal preference is to do it individually, but we’ll let the body decide.”
A comprehensive strategy to address Ukraine aid is being put forth by GOP leaders, encompassing measures such as a bill to seize Russian assets, a lend-lease program to bolster Ukraine’s military capabilities, and convertible loans to aid in humanitarian relief.
Russia launched its “special military operation” in Ukraine in February 2022.
Since then, the United States and Ukraine’s other allies have sent Kiev tens of billions of dollars’ worth of weapons, including rocket systems, drones, armored vehicles, tanks, and communication systems.
Western countries have also imposed a slew of economic sanctions on Moscow.
The Kremlin has said the sanctions and the Western military assistance will only prolong the war.
