US House Speaker Mike Johnson says he is willing to take “personal risks” regarding the aid funding to Ukraine.
-
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, talks to reporters just after lawmakers pushed a $95 billion national security aid package for Ukraine, “Israel” and Taiwan closer to passage at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, April 19, 2024.(AP)
US House Speaker Mike Johnson hailed this week the US’s deep state, labeled Russia, China, and Iran the new “axis of evil,” and promised to put his job on the line to give more than $60 billion to Kiev.
This is considered a clear shift in his stance over the bill to Ukraine, as over the past few months, Johnson has stood against bringing the $95 billion foreign aid bill to a vote and made it clear that just like other Republicans, he cannot back the bill that would give $14 billion in military aid to “Israel” and $60 billion to Ukraine, without it being linked to an overhaul of US border security.
This change in stance comes after a series of recent meetings Johnson had with US intelligence chiefs.
“This is a critical time right now, a critical time on the world stage,” Johnson told reporters on April 17.
“I think providing lethal aid to Ukraine right now is critically important. I really do. I really do believe the intel and the briefings that we’ve gotten,” he stressed.
“I believe [Chinese President] Xi [Jinping] and [Russian President] Vladimir Putin and Iran really are an axis of evil,” Johnson continued.
“I think they’re in coordination on this. I think that Vladimir Putin would continue to march through Europe if he were allowed,” he claimed.
As the US unveiled foreign aid bill texts for Ukraine, “Israel” and Taiwan on April 17, Johnson said “This is not a game. It’s not a joke. We can’t play politics,” adding “We have to do the right thing. And I’m willing to take personal risk for that because we have to do the right thing and history will judge.”
On Ukraine
In general, the Republican Party’s pro-Trump stance has labeled US intelligence agencies as arms of the anti-Trump “deep state” and had an opposing stance to sending aid to Ukraine.
“Fighting a proxy war with Russia in Ukraine, which is a non-NATO member nation, is not protecting America’s national security interests, it doesn’t protect the United States of America, as a matter of fact, it pushes us closer and closer to world war three,” Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of the most prominent Trump supports told journalist Tucker Carlson earlier this month.
As for John’s comment on the “axis of evil”, the latter was initially used by former US President George W. Bush to refer to Iran, Iraq, and the DPRK, before he invaded Iraq. Cuba, Libya, and Syria were also added to this list by former National Security Advisor John Bolton.
US unveiled foreign aid bill texts for Ukraine, ‘Israel’, and Taiwan
The US House of Representatives unveiled bill texts on April 17 containing provisions for aid to Ukraine, “Israel”, and Taiwan.
As outlined in a summary provided by the US House Appropriations Committee, the proposed bills allocate significant funding for various foreign aid initiatives. Specifically, $60.84 billion is earmarked for Ukraine-related funding, aimed at supporting the nation amid ongoing challenges, as per the summary.
Additionally, the summary added that $26.38 billion was designated for “Israel”-related funding, aimed at bolstering its security and stability. Furthermore, it stressed that $8.12 billion are allocated for initiatives aimed at countering China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
In further detail, the Ukraine aid bill introduced in the US House of Representatives mandates President Joe Biden to swiftly provide long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukrainian forces.
It is worth noting that the Ukraine aid bill includes a provision that bars the US president from canceling Ukraine’s debt before November 15, 2024, but permits the cancellation of 50% of the debt thereafter, as outlined in the proposed legislation.
