Biden has private talks with Speaker Johnson to help Ukraine

US President Joe Biden's aides are trying to privately persuade House Speaker Mike Johnson to put a US$60 billion aid package to Ukraine to a vote.

Source: Officials of the US President’s Administration revealed this to Politico on condition of anonymity, as reported by European Pravda.

The sources said that the White House had been in contact with Johnson's office regarding assistance to Ukraine during the two-week recess in Congress, where Biden and his team refrained from aggressively attacking the speaker to give him room to manoeuvre due to pressure from radical Republicans.

The article says that despite their frustration with the slow pace of work in the House of Representatives, officials from the President’s administration hope that their approach can help Congress begin work on a bailout package later this month.

Politico notes that it is unclear what that final package will look like, but the White House's focus remains on convincing Johnson of the urgency of providing aid to Ukraine.

White House officials argue that amending the bill to support Kyiv, which was passed by the Senate, would only delay aid, given the time it takes to draft and pass the bill in the House of Representatives and then return the amended bill to the Senate.

But they also do not dismiss the idea, the newspaper writes, that Johnson may have to find some kind of cover to bring the Senate-approved aid package to the House floor, whether it is the appearance of a political victory or simply the belief that if he relies on Democratic votes to pass the legislation, it will not cost him his job.

Earlier, the media reported that the US House of Representatives vote on aid to Ukraine is unlikely to happen until at least mid-April, and possibly later, as Speaker Mike Johnson is still seeking ways to soften opposition from radical Republicans.

Background:

• Johnson said that the US aid package for Ukraine will include "some important innovations", including the possibility of extending a US loan to Ukraine.
• Mike Turner, chairman of the US House Intelligence Committee,  expressed confidence that Ukraine's aid package would receive "overwhelming support" when Congress returns to work on 9 April, emphasising Johnson's promise to make funding for Ukraine a priority after the recess.
• The US Congress’ approval of over US$60 billion in aid to Ukraine is currently being blocked by Republicans in the House of Representatives. The White House has repeatedly cautioned that this would significantly harm Ukraine’s military efforts on the battlefield.

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