The Republican leader in the US House of Representatives said he would put the $61 billion aid bill for Ukraine to a vote, after weeks of resolute opposition.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican member, said on March 14 that additional aid bills for Ukraine and Israel will be voted on separately in the next few weeks. This is considered a sign that the Republicans in the House of Representatives seem to have made concessions on the issue of aid to Ukraine.
For many months, Republicans controlling the US House of Representatives have refused to pass a bill containing $61 billion in aid to Ukraine, requiring that aid to Kiev be tied to border security or reform. US immigration.
"Additional aid to Ukraine depends on how the administration reforms border security laws," Mr. Johnson once fiercely requested in a letter to the White House in December 12.
The US House of Representatives resolutely refused to give in when the Senate proposed a new bill, which introduced stricter border control provisions, such as requiring President Joe Biden to close the US refugee reception system. America if illegal border crossings exceed a certain threshold. The determination of the Republicans causes aid to Ukraine to continue to be stuck, in the context that the country is facing many difficulties due to Russia's progress on the battlefield.
House Speaker Johnson's statement on March 14 seemed to reverse his previous tough stance. This could make Johnson a target of attack from the far-right in the Republican party, who are 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. Image: AFP
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in January warned that he would trigger a vote to remove Mr. Johnson as Speaker of the House if he presented an additional aid bill to Ukraine to the House of Representatives.
“We cannot give aid to Ukraine,” Ms. Greene said, emphasizing that it is “absolutely not something that should be done.” This is also the view expressed by former President Trump, who declared that the US "should not give one penny more aid" to Ukraine.
The Speaker of the US House of Representatives may fall into a difficult situation if Ms. Greene or any Republican congressman submits a petition to dismiss him. The Republican majority in the House of Representatives is currently only 5 votes, due to the sudden resignation of Congressman Ken Buck.
President Biden in October 10 called on the US Congress to approve a $2023 billion budget for national security, which tied $106 billion in aid to Ukraine with $61 billion in support for Israel during the war. Retaliation against Hamas. However, proposals from the White House could not motivate the US Congress to approve aid to Ukraine and Israel, causing this situation to last until this year.
The United States is still the largest military aid provider to Ukraine, with tens of billions of dollars in security aid and a continuous commitment to support Kiev as long as necessary. However, opposition from hard-line Republican lawmakers has raised doubts about the ability of the US to maintain this source of support for Ukraine.
Ngoc Anh (Follow Independent/Reuters/AFP)
