Congress halts Ukraine aid as new administration takes charge
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, stated that Congress will not pass a new aid package for Ukraine in the coming weeks, as Joe Biden's administration proposed. Johnson announced that he would wait for Donald Trump to be sworn in and for his instructions.
Biden's administration requested the inclusion of $24 billion in the budget to support Ukraine, of which $16 billion was to replenish the US arsenals, and $8 billion for purchasing new weapons for Kyiv. Johnson stated that the situation in Ukraine is changing rapidly and decisions on this matter should belong to the new president.
"I do not plan to do this. I think changes are occurring every hour in Ukraine, and—as we predicted, and as I told you all a few weeks before the elections—if Donald Trump is elected, it will change the dynamics of the Russia-Ukraine war. And we are seeing that happening. So it's not Joe Biden's role to make such decisions," said Johnson during a press conference.
"We have a newly elected president, we will wait and follow the guidance of the new commander-in-chief. Therefore, I do not expect any funding for Ukraine right now," he added.
Gridlock in the USA: Waiting for Trump on Ukraine
Last week, Trump chose retired General Keith Kellogg as a special envoy for Russia and Ukraine.
This spring, Kellogg published an article suggesting a ceasefire and starting negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. The general emphasised that the current situation is unsustainable, and a battlefield reset is necessary. "Something needs to be done, because the current situation is unsustainable," he said.
Kellogg assured that his plan does not mean Ukraine agreeing to lose territory. He emphasised that Trump would threaten Russia by providing Ukraine with a "considerable" amount of weaponry if they do not agree to a ceasefire. "We have plenty of things in our stockpiles that we can get rid of," the general said.
