There is a consensus among Republicans who control the US House of Representatives that requests for funding from Ukraine and Israel should be considered separately, House Speaker-elect Mike Johnson said on October 26, the Kyiv Independent reported.
The move could reportedly hamper US President Joe Biden's efforts to secure US support for the two allies amid growing opposition to aid to Kiev in the Republican Party. The White House combined military aid for Ukraine and Israel in an additional request for $160 billion sent to Congress on October 20.
In his first interview since his appointment, Johnson said the US would not abandon Ukraine, but that House approval for further aid to Kiev would require more accountability for the funds already spent.
"We can't let Vladimir Putin prevail in Ukraine because I don't believe he's going to stop there. He's probably going to encourage and enable China to maybe take steps toward Taiwan," the House Speaker told Fox News.
"But we want to know what the goal is there, what the end game is in Ukraine. The White House has not provided that," Johnson said.
On October 20, the Biden administration asked Congress to approve $61.4 billion in aid for Ukraine and $14.3 billion for Israel. Johnson said House Republicans would offer a slightly larger $14.5 billion package for Israel, which is embroiled in the ongoing war with Gaza.
One of former President Donald Trump's staunchest supporters in Congress, Mike Johnson is a critic of aid to Ukraine. In May 2022, the Republican voted against a $40 billion aid package for Kyiv, saying his focus was on solving domestic affordability challenges. /BGNES
