U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson told the Voice of America (VoA) on Feb. 29 that his chamber would consider $60 billion in aid for Ukraine "as soon as the government is funded."
The House of Representatives approved a bill on Feb. 29 to avoid a partial government shutdown less than two days before a looming deadline that threatened to disrupt federal operations. To be implemented, the measure now has to be passed by the Senate and signed into law by President Joe Biden.
A $95 billion supplemental funding bill intended for Ukraine, Israel, and other allies has been stalled for months due to domestic political turmoil.
The U.S. Senate passed the foreign aid bill on Feb. 13, but Johnson has not yet put it to a vote in Congress's lower chamber, despite the pressure from the Senate and the White House.
Francis Farrell
Hold-ups in U.S. assistance continue to put a strain on Ukraine's defense capabilities, contributing to the loss of the key front-line city of Avdiivka, acknowledged by several U.S. officials.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned during his visit to Lviv earlier this month that Ukraine is at risk of losing the war without American aid.
Schumer added that the failure to support Ukraine would hurt the standing of the U.S. in the world and increase the likelihood of further conflict in the future, which could potentially require American boots on the ground.
U.S. military officials previously told the VoA that if nothing changes, the U.S. Army in Europe and Africa may run out of resources "for everything," including the support for Ukraine and training and operations with NATO partners, by summer.
John Roberts
(Updated: )
