Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, said that the aid package to Ukraine will be put to a vote after the vacation, which will end on April 9. It will also include "some important innovations."
What innovations can help Ukraine?
Johnson cited the possibility of providing a loan to Ukraine as an example. The Hill reports that the idea gained some traction in early March to shore up Ukraine in a way that would assuage concerns among conservative Republicans.
Johnson also mentioned the "REPO for Ukrainians" law, which authorizes the president to seize Russian sovereign assets frozen in the United States and transfer them to Ukraine for use against Russia.
The REPO Act, you know, if we can use the seized assets of Russian oligarchs to allow the Ukrainians to fight them, that’s just pure poetry,” Johnson said. “Even President Trump has talked about the loan concept, where … we’re not just giving foreign aid. We’re setting it up in a relationship where they can provide it back to us when the time is right.
Mike Johnson
Speaker of the House of Representatives
The publication notes that Johnson's statement came after he clarified that he intends to push legislation to provide funding for Ukraine, but he has not yet said what that would look like.
The US House of Representatives is scheduled to return from its Easter recess on April 9, and its new vacation will begin on April 22.
US Aid to Ukraine
In February, the US Senate approved a package of aid to US allies — Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan — worth $95 billion, $60 billion of which goes to Kyiv.
The House of Representatives must approve the document before sending it to US President Joe Biden for signature.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the US Congress's delay in approving a $60 billion military aid package cost Ukraine dearly.
