Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson and the heads of key House committees dealing with national security are working on developing their own aid package for Ukraine.
What do the Republicans offer in a possible aid package for Ukraine
According to NBC News, the package is meant to be an alternative that they hope Congress can pass without alienating conservatives who oppose further aid to Ukraine.
Referring to three anonymous sources, the publication writes that the plans are still in the preliminary stages and are far from fully formed.
However, Republicans who support Ukraine want to be ready to accept it as soon as Congress announces another government shutdown on March 22.
The additional wait could result in the passage of critical aid for Ukraine being pushed back to April, given the planned two-week recess in Congress at the end of March.
Among the proposals being floated is treating some of the non-military aid as a type of loan, said Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Mike McCaul and Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Economic assistance to support the overall operation of the Government of Ukraine and its long-term recovery efforts under this plan will depend on the loan.
Russian assets seized by the US government due to sanctions could also be used as collateral for loans to Ukrainians, McCaul said, adding that the plan could also have a generous loan repayment system.
The loan proposal as part of the package is meant to ease concerns among House conservatives, who have criticized billions in US aid to Ukraine and said they would not support sending more US taxpayer dollars without a long-term plan to win the war.
The House of Representatives cannot approve aid to allies
On February 13, the US Senate approved a draft law on international aid to US allies — Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan — for $93 billion.
It is planned to allocate 60 billion dollars to Ukraine, 14 billion to Israel, 4.83 billion to support partners in the Indo-Pacific region, including Taiwan, and deter aggression from China.
9.15 billion is intended for humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza, the West Bank, and Ukraine.
For the package to be approved, it must be voted on by the House of Representatives, but Speaker Johnson says that the most urgent issue for the United States is the protection of the southern border and is not putting the aid package for allies to a vote.
After the bill is passed, it must be signed by President Joe Biden.
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