Trump and Johnson push for loan-based aid to Ukraine, stirring political waters
"We’re looking at it right now, and they’re talking about it, and we’re thinking about making it in the form of a loan instead of just a gift," said former U.S. President Donald Trump during a joint press conference with House Speaker Mike Johnson at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Friday. Trump's statement suggests a possible breakthrough in the deadlock over the package for Ukraine.
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- "We’re looking at it right now, and they’re talking about it, and we’re thinking about making it in the form of a loan instead of just a gift. We keep handing out gifts of billions and billions of dollars, and we’ll take a look at it," said Donald Trump, standing next to the Speaker of the House, upon whom the future of U.S. support for Ukraine essentially depends. The former President simultaneously warned that it is most important for Europe to increase its involvement.
Trump's statement comes as some Republicans are still blocking any aid packages for Ukraine, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, a close ally of Trump, threatened to remove Chairman Johnson from office if he brings the package to a vote.
During the conference, Trump defended Johnson, claiming he is doing "as good a job as could be expected," considering the minimal, unanimous majority of Republicans in the House.
Commentators, including those from the Bloomberg agency, assessed Johnson's visit to Trump's estate in Florida as an attempt to gain "protection" from the former President against attacks from the far right and to pass aid for Ukraine. The Speaker originally announced that he would propose an alternative package for Ukraine based on loans this week, but he did not keep his word due to opposition from some party congressmen.
Trump sets a condition
Trump's statement could allow the next week to address the issue, but the path to adopting the measures necessary for further Ukraine support is unclear.
On Thursday, the Democratic leader in the House, Hakeem Jeffries, when asked about Johnson's alternative package for Ukraine, stated that the only possible path is to adopt the bill that the Senate voted on in February. This package is worth £76 billion, of which £48 billion would be allocated to support Ukraine and the rest to aid Israel and Indo-Pacific countries.
The main topic of the conference between Trump and Johnson was "election integrity" and the announcement of a bill requiring voters to present proof of U.S. citizenship. Johnson suggested - without providing evidence - that the results of the November elections could be decided by the votes of hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants who do not have the right to vote.
