US Congress may postpone Ukraine aid vote again – Bloomberg

A vote on Ukraine aid in the U.S. House of Representatives is likely to be postponed until at least mid-April, or possibly even later. Speaker Mike Johnson is still trying to find ways to smooth out the opposition from radical Republicans.

This was reported by Bloomberg with reference to the leaders of the Republican Party. At the same time, in an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Johnson raised expectations for prompt action, noting that the House of Representatives would begin assisting Ukraine "immediately" when lawmakers return from their two-week Easter recess.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls for immediate approval of additional US aid, given the growing threat of Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure. At the same time, the shortage of artillery shells means that Ukrainian troops on the front line face enemy shelling at a ratio of 6:1.

Thus, representatives of the Republican Party leadership reported that Johnson's team has not presented a detailed plan for an aid package to Republican lawmakers and seems undecided about the specific steps it will insist on in its relations with President Joe Biden's administration. This complicates the task of gaining support in time for next week's vote.

Johnson's spokeswoman, Taylor Haulsee, said that the speaker's promise of swift action did not include a specific time frame and that Johnson was "listening to the views of his party members" on the plan. She did not provide further information about the speaker's consultations.

According to two GOP leadership officials, Johnson may make a decision on the Ukraine aid plan over the weekend and speed up approval next week.

However, Bloomberg points out that such a fast schedule could ultimately lead to the failure of the bill, as well as provoke further disputes with hardliners in the Republican Party.

Earlier it was reported that the US Presidential Administration will continue to actively seek ways to provide immediate support to Ukrainians, as it did last month. This is due to the fact that the House of Representatives is delaying the decision on assistance for our country.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a Sunday interview with Fox News that the U.S. House of Representatives is working on an aid package for Ukraine and plans to include important "innovations" compared to the bill submitted by U.S. President Joe Biden. In particular, it may include providing aid on credit, ostensibly to ease Republican concerns.

As you know, the approval by the US Congress of more than $60 billion in aid to Ukraine is being blocked by Republicans in the House of Representatives. The White House has repeatedly warned that this would significantly harm Kyiv's military efforts on the battlefield.

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