US aid package for Ukraine to include innovative loan options – speaker Johnson

Speaker of the House of Representatives of the US Congress, Mike Johnson, said that the aid package for Ukraine would include "some important innovations," for example, the possibility of providing loan assistance.

The Hill reports this.

Johnson said he was in a difficult position with a historically narrow majority in the House of Representatives. However, he also mentioned that he had been diligently developing a comprehensive package and intends to bring it up for a vote once the House reconvenes.

"When it comes to the supplemental, we've been working to build that consensus. We've been talking to all the members, especially now over the district work period. When we return after this work period, we'll be moving a product, but it's going to, I think, have some important innovations".

For instance, he mentioned the possibility of offering a loan to Ukraine. The publication highlights that this proposal gained momentum in early March as a means to assist Ukraine in a manner that would alleviate Republican concerns about providing more aid.

Johnson also mentioned the REPO for Ukrainians Act, which authorizes the president to seize Russian sovereign assets frozen in the United States and transfer them to Ukraine for use against Russia.

"Even President Trump has talked about the loan concept, where … we're not just giving foreign aid. We're setting it up in a relationship where they can provide it back to us when the time is right," the speaker said.

The article stresses that these statements were made following Johnson's declaration of his intention to pass a bill guaranteeing funding for Ukraine. However, he has not yet finalized the specifics of what this would entail.

For reference:

Since the fall of 2023, the US Congress has not been able to reach an agreement on President Joe Biden's request to allocate new funds to finance aid to Ukraine.

This year, the US Senate passed a bill to provide Ukraine with approximately 60 billion dollars in aid. The House of Representatives received the document, but it has yet to be reviewed. Speaker Johnson opposed the bill, stating that the document should also include stringent measures to safeguard America's borders from migrants.

Recently, in an interview with The Washington Post, Zelensky said that without American help, Ukraine would have to retreat at the front. Before that, the Ukrainian president had a telephone conversation with the speaker of the House of Representatives.

On March 28, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, had a telephone conversation with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson.

The head of state told him about the difficult situation on the battlefield and the swift escalation of Russian aerial attacks. Given these circumstances, Congress's urgent approval of aid to Ukraine is crucial.