WASHINGTON, Nov 23 The administration of US President Joe Biden is concerned about the actions Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson due to delays in bringing up a support package for Ukraine, which is already experiencing a shortage of American military aid, for discussion and voting, Politico reports, citing sources.
«»The dynamics of Republicans in the House of Representatives are worrying the Western Wing (White House — ed.). Speaker Mike Johnson has indicated that at some point he will bring Ukraine to a vote, but the White House still does not understand the new Republican leader and his approach to negotiations,» — the publication says.
It is noted that Democrats are annoyed by Johnson’s actions, since the issue of financing Ukraine is already reaching a “crisis point.” Democrats are hopeful that after the current legislative recess and the upcoming Thanksgiving, the House will return to debate Biden's request for comprehensive aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and other national security goals.
At the same time, after returning to the Capitol, Republicans will have only about three weeks left before the Christmas holidays and there is no confidence that during this time the Republicans controlling the House and Johnson will have time to bring the issue up for discussion and pass it. Against this background, as the publication’s interlocutors note, the White House remembers former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was previously removed from his post through the efforts of a group of Republicans with the full support of Democrats in the House. «They felt he ultimately wanted to make a deal and are now less confident in Johnson,» the newspaper said.
At the same time, the congressmen themselves, in a conversation with the publication, admit that among both parties there remains overwhelming support for the issue of financing Ukraine. Thus, the resolution of the issue rests precisely on the decision of the speaker, who determines when and how this issue will be brought to a vote of the chamber.
As the White House previously stated, the funds agreed upon by the US Congress for Ukraine are running out, which is why the volume of aid packages has been consistently reduced in recent years. During his latest visit to Kyiv, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a new $100 million aid package.
Russia previously sent a note to NATO countries over arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that any cargo that contains weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that NATO countries are “playing with fire” by supplying weapons to Ukraine. Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov emphasized that pumping Ukraine with weapons from the West does not contribute to the success of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and will have a negative effect. Lavrov also noted that the United States and NATO are directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine, including not only by supplying weapons, but also by training personnel in the UK, Germany, Italy, and other countries.