Republican Representative Victoria Spartz, the only U.S. lawmaker born in Ukraine, has submitted amendments reducing the proposed Ukrainian aid package set to be voted on this Saturday in the U.S. House.
U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump says it is inappropriate for him to visit Ukraine as he does not hold office, Reuters reported on April 10, citing the ex-president's team.
Victoria Spartz has previously supported aid for Ukraine and spoken about the war in deeply personal terms, but also attracted controversy for her attacks against President Volodymyr Zelensky and Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak.
The comments differed from an assertion from House Speaker Mike Johnson, who said on April 1 that it would be held "right after Easter."
As the world watched in horror at Russia’s unprovoked full-scale invasion and war against Ukraine in the early months of 2022, Americans rallied firmly behind the embattled eastern European democracy. Shortly after the start of the full-scale war, 79% of U.S. voters supported sending arms to Ukraine, and
Republican Senator Lindsay Graham arrived in Kyiv, the U.S. Embassy shared on social media on March 18.
House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said in an interview with Politico on March 14 that he expects to pass a future Ukraine aid bill with Democratic votes, adding that splitting Ukraine and Israel aid into two separate bills was "under consideration."
House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson addressed Republican senators at their annual retreat on March 13, where he floated the idea that the long-obstructed Ukraine aid package could be made into a loan or lend-lease program for the benefit of U.S. taxpayers, the Hill reported on March 14.
House Republicans are working on their own version of an aid bill to Ukraine to speed up the delivery of assistance to the country, with one version including treating nonmilitary aid to Ukraine as a loan, NBC reported on March 9.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's impending departure from his leadership role in November signals a significant shift in Republican support for Ukraine. McConnell has played a pivotal role in securing military assistance and funding for Kyiv, Politico reports.
The White House has continued to criticize House Republicans over their refusal to pass legislation providing aid for Ukraine, which escalated after U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson convened an early recess on Feb. 15 without bringing the aid, passed the week before by the Senate, to a vote.
