US House Speaker changes mind on aid to Ukraine

The Republican leader in the US House of Representatives said he would bring a $61 billion aid bill to Ukraine to a vote, after weeks of staunch opposition.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, said on March 14 that additional aid to Ukraine and Israel would be voted on separately in the coming weeks, a sign that House Republicans appear to have made concessions on the issue of aid to Ukraine.

For months, Republicans who control the US House of Representatives have refused to pass a bill that would provide $61 billion in aid to Ukraine, demanding that aid to Kiev be tied to US border security or immigration reform.

“Additional aid to Ukraine is contingent on the administration reforming border security laws,” Johnson strongly requested in a letter to the White House in December 2023.

The US House of Representatives has refused to budge as the Senate has proposed a new bill that would impose tougher border controls, such as requiring President Joe Biden to shut down the US refugee system if illegal border crossings exceed a certain threshold. Republicans’ insistence has kept aid to Ukraine at a standstill as the country struggles to contain Russia’s advances on the battlefield.

House Speaker Johnson’s statement on March 14 appeared to reverse his previous hardline stance, which could make him a target for attacks from the far-right wing of the Republican Party, who have been heavily influenced by former President Donald Trump, in the coming months.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson at a press conference in Congress on January 30. Photo: AFP — US House Speaker Mike Johnson at a press conference in Congress on January 30. Photo: *AFP*

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene warned in January that she would trigger a vote to remove Johnson from his position as House Speaker if he introduced additional aid to Ukraine into the House.

“We cannot give aid to Ukraine,” Greene said, stressing that it was “an absolute no-no,” a view echoed by former President Trump, who declared that the United States “should not give one more penny” in aid to Ukraine.

The Speaker of the House could find himself in a difficult position if Greene or any other Republican senators file a motion to remove him from office. The Republican majority in the House is now down to five votes, thanks to the sudden resignation of Rep. Ken Buck.

In October 2023, President Biden called on Congress to approve a $106 billion national security budget, tying $61 billion in aid to Ukraine to $14 billion in support for Israel in its campaign against Hamas. However, the White House’s proposals failed to push Congress to approve aid to Ukraine and Israel, leading to a standoff that lasted until this year.

The United States remains by far the largest military aid donor to Ukraine, providing tens of billions of dollars in security aid and repeatedly pledging to support Kiev for as long as necessary. However, opposition from hard-line Republicans has raised doubts about the US’s ability to maintain this support for Ukraine.

Ngoc Anh (According to Independent/Reuters/AFP )

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