US President Joe Biden's administration will continue to work with Congress to approve a funding package for Ukraine, as well as look for other assistance options.
The White House made an important statement regarding aid to Ukraine
The coordinator of the US National Security Council, John Kirby, said the US would look for additional options to help Ukraine, considering the battlefield situation.
He added that the US would work with allies on possible contributions.
Of course, we're looking within our own system, government, and the entire administration to see if there's anything else we can do to support Ukraine. But none of these efforts can replace the scope, the scale that would allow us to approve the request for additional funding.
John Kirby
Coordinator of the US National Security Council
Kirby emphasised that they are always looking at other opportunities they can pursue, but he said, "Whatever they are, they won't be as good as asking for additional funding."
He added that it is now "difficult to say with certainty" whether the House of Representatives will approve the bill, stressing that it all depends on House Speaker Mike Johnson.
We know, and Speaker Johnson knows, that if he brings it up for a vote, the bill will pass. There is enough bipartisan support for this, in both parties. There are no questions here. The real question is: Will he bring it to a vote? And only he can answer this question, said Kirby.
What has preceded it?
The Biden administration is exploring allocating about $200 million in funding for the United States military to support Ukraine.
Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, after a meeting with other leaders of Congress and President Joe Biden at the White House on Feb. 27, said that he continues to consider solving the issue of border protection a priority.
According to Republican Michael McCall, the head of the House of Representatives' foreign policy committee, they plan to present an alternative aid project to Ukraine after Mar. 22.
According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine needs urgent decisions from Western partners regarding acquiring air defence systems.
