Speaker Johnson refuses to consider US$24bn aid request for Ukraine
US House Speaker Republican Mike Johnson says he will not consider a request from US President Joe Biden's administration for an additional US$24 billion in aid to Ukraine.
Source: Mike Johnson at a briefing on 4 December, quoted by European Pravda
Details: Asked whether Biden's request for additional funds to support Ukraine would be put to a vote, Johnson said he is "not planning to do that".
Quote from Mike Johnson: "There are developments by the hour in Ukraine, I think as we predicted and as I said to all of you weeks before the election, if Donald Trump is elected, it will change the dynamic of the Russian war on Ukraine. So, it is not the place of Joe Biden to make that decision. Now, we have a newly elected president, and we are going to wait and take the new commander-in-chief's direction on all of that."
Background:
- Last week, it was reported that US President Joe Biden had called on Congress to provide an additional US$24 billion to strengthen military support for Ukraine and to replenish the stockpile of US weapons that had been transferred to Kyiv.
- Two-thirds of the requested amount, US$16 billion, would be used to replenish US stockpiles. The remaining US$8 billion would be used for contracts with American companies to arm the Ukrainian defence forces.
- At the same time, the Biden administration is currently using the remaining funds approved by Congress to provide military aid to Ukraine.
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken has assured NATO and Ukraine of his readiness to use the funding for Ukraine authorised by Congress fully.
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