Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson said that the House is developing a new bill on aid to Ukraine. It will differ significantly from what was approved by the US Senate on February 13.
The Hill writes about it.
At a meeting with Republican senators, Johnson said that the United States should provide military aid to Ukraine not for free, but on credit or lend-lease arms. In Johnsonʼs opinion, aid to Ukraine will not be financed at the expense of American taxpayers. Johnson also suggested that the frozen assets of the Russian Federation could be used to finance aid to Ukraine.
"No one wants Vladimir Putin to prevail. I’m of the opinion that he wouldn’t stop at Ukraine … and go all through the way through Europe... There is a right and wrong there, a good versus evil in my view, and Ukraine is the victim here," Johnson said at a meeting with Republicans.
The Hill points out that Johnson did not disclose a number of key details about the possible bill. In particular, he did not specify whether he would insist on linking the approval of aid to Kyiv with tough immigration reform in the United States. This is a fundamental point, since the Democrats are unlikely to agree to such an option.
Sen. John Cornyn, one of the Republicans who voted in February for the already Senate-approved package of funds to support Ukraine, says he is "optimistic" after this discussion with Johnson. He believes that the House of Representatives will finally approve some decision to help Ukraine. According to Cornyn, Speaker Johnson has clearly shown that he is ready to help Ukraine.
NBC News previously reported that Speaker of the House of Representatives Johnson and the Republicans are developing their own bill on aid to Ukraine. Currently, this draft law is far from being fully implemented, but it may convince those Republicans who previously opposed the continuation of aid to Ukraine.
What about American aid to Ukraine
US military aid to Ukraine was exhausted at the end of 2023. Last year in October, Joe Biden submitted a request to Congress for the allocation of $106 billion, of which more than $61 billion is intended for Ukraine, mostly for the purchase of weapons from the United States. The rest of the funds from the package were intended for Israel, aid to the Asia-Pacific region, humanitarian activities in the Gaza Strip, etc.
However, the request was not approved due to political disputes. Then representatives of the Congress and the White House began to work on the text of the bill, which, in particular, was supposed to contain the demand of the Republicans to strengthen the security of the US borders to stop migration from Mexico. Already on February 7, he did not get the necessary 60 votes in the Senate.
Subsequently, an alternative draft law appeared on the $95.34 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, of which $61 billion is for Ukraine. The US Senate voted for him on February 13. Both houses of the US Congress (Senate and House of Representatives) must approve the legislation before President Joe Biden can sign it. However, the US House of Representatives adjourned without voting for aid to Ukraine
On March 12, 2024, the United States announced a $300 million aid package to Ukraine. This is the first package of US support since December 27, 2023, when the United States transferred $250 million.