After a long blockade, Congress could soon pass billions in loans for Ukraine. A change in thinking on the part of Donald Trump is probably responsible for this.
Washington, DC – Is everything suddenly happening so quickly? After months of Republican blockade, the US House of Representatives could now decide on further aid to Ukraine this week. Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson confirmed this on
Fox News
. As the television station reported on Monday (April 15), Johnson wants to present MPs with a spending package that, in addition to war aid for Israel, also includes billions in support for Ukraine. “The details of this package are currently being put together,” said Johnson, who met with the key figure among the Republicans before his initiative on Friday (April 12): Donald Trump.
Conversation between Trump and Johnson: Probably in agreement on Ukraine aid
The conversation with the likely Republican candidate in the US election next November was apparently successful. “President Trump is 100 percent on my side,” Johnson said after the meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. “He and I agree 100 percent on these major agenda items.” And the former president also vowed unity. Following the meeting, Trump expressed support for Johnson and said he had a "very good relationship" with him.
The reason for the sudden rush is probably the Iranian attack on Israel on the night of Saturday (April 13) to Sunday. This increased the pressure on Johnson, but also gave him the opportunity to underline the urgency of the package, writes
Fox News
. Republicans “understand the need to stand with Israel,” Johnson said.
Biden called for quick action on US aid to Ukraine and Israel
According to the broadcaster, US President Joe Biden called both Johnson and Senate Majority Leader, Democrat Chuck Schumer, on Sunday. The president called on the two to act quickly and send aid to Israel and Ukraine. Biden met with open ears from Schumer. Schumer said afterwards that there was a consensus among the participants. The package is “vitally important for the future of Ukraine, for Israel and the West,” said the Democrat.
According to Fox News
, members of the Senate have been urging Johnson
for a long time to submit the corresponding bill to the House of Representatives, which the Senate already approved in mid-February. The approved $95 billion package includes around $60 billion in aid (mostly military support) for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel and billions in aid for Taiwan and other Indo-Pacific partners. A legislative package with a total volume of 118 billion US dollars had previously failed in the Senate. The package included more money for securing the American border with Mexico, but the senators were unable to agree on that. The part was therefore removed.
The US House of Representatives did not vote on Ukraine aid for months
Because of the lack of funds for border security, the House of Representatives did not want to approve the draft. “The most urgent problem facing our country,” securing the US border with Mexico, was not included in the draft, Johnson said at the time, justifying his rejection. As spokesman for the committee, he has control over which legislative proposals are voted on - the aid package was not one of them. Even a request from Joe Biden couldn't change that. “Bring it to a vote: immediately, immediately,” Biden said to Johnson.
Now the Republicans have apparently changed their mind. “We’re looking at the options and all these additional issues,” Johnson said. Instead of the draft passed in the Senate, he could also submit a new draft with smaller aid funds in order to get the approval of certain representatives.
Trump wants to give loans to Ukraine: weapons on credit
Johnson apparently favors a model in which part of the financial support is structured as a loan from the USA to Ukraine. Trump brought this into play on Friday. Trump emphasized that the idea – weapons on credit – came from him. “When you talk about help for Ukraine, he introduced the loan-lease concept, which is really important and, in my opinion, has a lot of consensus,” said Johnson.
If the spending package is passed - probably next week - the strategists in Kiev in particular will probably breathe a sigh of relief. Ukraine has recently campaigned more vehemently for US aid. “If Congress does not help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in early April. He emphasized: “Without the support of Congress, it will be difficult for us to win or even survive as a country.”
(flon)