Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson has stated that he will not bring to a vote a bill proposing $24 billion in military support for Ukraine for the next year.
According to Yevropeyska Pravda, the Republican speaker justifies this decision by citing the potential impact of Donald Trump’s election as president. “The election of Donald Trump as president changes the dynamics of Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Johnson said.
He argued that President Joe Biden, who remains in office until 20 January, “can no longer make such decisions” and suggested that Congress should “wait until the inauguration of the newly elected president to receive guidance on this issue from the new commander-in-chief.”
- Last week, President Biden submitted a request to Congress for $24 billion in aid to Ukraine, covering assistance through 2025.
- Johnson, who was recently re-elected to the House of Representatives in November, has been a vocal critic of President Biden’s Ukraine policies.