HURDLES IN THE HOUSE
Since Russian tanks first rolled into Ukraine, the Kremlin has bet that Western military support would ebb. Any hesitation on the part of Kyiv’s allies reinforces Russia’s belief that its gamble will pay off.
However, the failure of Congress to approve this package does not mean the end of US support for Kyiv.
US lawmakers return to work on Jan 8, and Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate have stated their intention to approve the package, which includes military, humanitarian and macroeconomic components.
It is in the lower House, which must also approve the aid package, where things get complicated.
New House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, is not opposed in principle to extending US aid, but claims that there is a lack of oversight.
What the Biden administration seems to want are “billions of additional dollars with no appropriate oversight, with no clear strategy to win, and none of the answers that I think the American people are owed”, Johnson asserted after his interview with Zelenskyy on Tuesday.
Johnson, meanwhile, has the hard right of his own party to contend with, including those who do not want to disburse one penny more to Ukraine.
Among them are lawmakers, many close to former president Donald Trump, who were active in the effort to remove the past speaker in October, accusing him among other things of concluding a “secret deal” on Ukraine with Democrats.
Zelenskyy voiced awareness of impending risks, saying the return of Trump to the White House could have a “strong impact” on the war in Ukraine.
Source: CNA
