US House Speaker to Push Ukraine Aid Bill Vote on 20th

Separate Budget Proposals for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan Support
Hardliners in Party Mention Removal of Chairman Johnson
Biden Urges Swift Approval

Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House and a member of the U.S. Republican Party, has decided to push forward with a vote on the Ukraine aid budget bill despite opposition from hardliners within his party. Attention is focused on whether the U.S. will resume support for Ukraine, which has been in a prolonged deadlock since the end of last year.

On the 17th (local time), Speaker Johnson unveiled three additional security budget bills totaling $95 billion (approximately 132 trillion KRW), each containing support for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.

Although the total amount is the same as the security budget bill that passed the Senate in February, Speaker Johnson separated the support plans for the three countries into individual budget bills rather than bundling them together. The bills include $61 billion (approximately 84 trillion KRW) for Ukraine, $26 billion (approximately 36 trillion KRW) for Israel, and $8 billion (approximately 11 trillion KRW) for Taiwan. Johnson plans to put each budget bill to a vote on the 20th.

Among the $61 billion aid package for Ukraine, Speaker Johnson included $9.5 billion in loans rather than grants. This measure aims to appease hardliners within the Republican Party who demand border security funding to prevent illegal immigration instead of Ukraine aid.

However, it remains uncertain whether the budget bills will pass the House due to strong opposition from hardliners within the Republican Party. Hardline members such as Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene (Georgia) and Thomas Massie (Kentucky) plan to push for a vote of no confidence against Speaker Johnson.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden urged the House to swiftly process the aid budget bills for Ukraine and Israel.

In a statement, he emphasized, "I will sign this bill immediately to send a message to the world," adding, "We will stand with our friends and will not allow Iran or Russia to succeed."

President Biden also wrote in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that "now is not the time to abandon friends," and urged, "The House must pass the emergency security budget for Ukraine and Israel."

Regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said, "Putin has relentlessly tried to break the will of the Ukrainian people but has failed," and "Now he is trying to break the will of the West. We cannot let him succeed." He added, "History demands moments of leadership and courage," emphasizing, "Now is that moment."