US Congress may postpone vote on Ukraine aid for weeks – Bloomberg
Speaker Mike Johnson is currently seeking ways to moderate hardline Republicans, and this could result in a vote in the US House of Representatives on military aid to Ukraine, which could occur as early as mid-April or possibly later.
Republican leaders told Bloomberg about this.
According to the sources, Johnson's team has not yet shared a detailed plan for the aid package with Republicans and has yet to determine what concessions they will request from the Biden administration. This is making it difficult to secure the support of congressmen in time for the upcoming vote next week.
Earlier, Johnson mentioned that he planned to propose new stipulations for giving aid. Specifically, he suggested that it could become a loan with the expectation of Ukraine reimbursing it, requiring the confiscation of Russian assets as compensation, and a retraction of the White House's decision to freeze approving new licenses for exporting liquefied natural gas.
Johnson's press secretary, Taylor Haulsey, said the speaker's promise of quick action did not imply a specific deadline and that Johnson was "listening to members of the party" about the plan.
Two Republican leaders said there was still a chance Johnson could make a decision on the relief plan over the weekend and fast-track legislation next week. However, such an accelerated schedule may lead to the failure of the bill and further confrontation with the hard-liners of the Republican Party.
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.
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.
Part of the Republican Party of the USA, together with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, began to develop their own version of the aid package for Ukraine.
In the budget request of the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, for the 2025 fiscal year, 1.5 billion dollars were provided to counter the aggression of the Kremlin, of which 482 million dollars are for Ukraine.
Представники України та США провели чотири інспекції озброєння, наданого американськими партнерами
Байден поспілкувався телефоном з лідером Китаю: говорили й про війну в Україні
У Молдові стартували навчання за участі військових зі Сполучених Штатів та Румунії
