Ukraine Russia war: US House passes crucial Ukrainian aid deal worth $61bn
Ukraine Russia war: US House passes crucial Ukrainian aid deal worth $61bn
(32 minutes later)
Ukraine has grown increasingly impatient for more Western support
Ukraine has grown increasingly impatient for more Western support
The House of Representatives has voted in favour of billions of dollars in US military aid for Ukraine after months of delay.
The House of Representatives has voted in favour of billions of dollars in US military aid for Ukraine, after months of delay.
The measure had vocal opponents in Congress, and it took a fragile bipartisan deal to finally get it through the House.
The measure had vocal opponents in Congress, and it took a fragile bipartisan deal to finally get it through the House.
There were cheers and applause in the House as it passed, with some Representatives waving Ukrainian flags.
There were cheers and applause in the House as it passed, with some Representatives waving Ukrainian flags.
The $61bn (£49bn) package passed by 311 votes to 112.
The $61bn (£49bn) package passed by 311 votes to 112.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he wanted to push the measures through, even if it jeopardises his position.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he wanted to push the measures through, even if it jeopardised his position.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted saying: "I am grateful to the United States House of Representatives, both parties, and personally Speaker Mike Johnson for the decision that keeps history on the right track.
Reacting to Saturday's vote, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: "I am grateful to the United States House of Representatives, both parties, and personally Speaker Mike Johnson for the decision that keeps history on the right track.
"Democracy and freedom will always have global significance and will never fail as long as America helps to protect it.
"Democracy and freedom will always have global significance and will never fail as long as America helps to protect it.
"The vital US aid bill passed today by the House will keep the war from expanding, save thousands and thousands of lives, and help both of our nations to become stronger.
"The vital US aid bill passed today by the House will keep the war from expanding, save thousands and thousands of lives, and help both of our nations to become stronger.
What's in the aid bills?
Mr Johnson's foreign aid proposal provides $60.8bn (£49bn) to Ukraine, $26.4bn to Israel and $8.1bn to the Indo-Pacific region, including Taiwan. The House of Representatives will vote on each component individually, raising the possibility that some components will be approved and others will fail.
The Speaker is also bringing a fourth piece of legislation to a vote, which includes requiring that Chinese company ByteDance divest itself of the TikTok social media app, authorising the sale of frozen Russian assets, and imposing new sanctions on Russia, Iran and China.
Whatever passes will be combined into one bill that will then have to be approved as a whole by the Senate before it reaches the president's desk.
Mr Johnson has also promised to introduce an immigration reform bill that contains provisions favoured by conservative Republicans in an attempt to win over their support for the aid package.
But the border bill looks unlikely to pass as it would require the support of two-thirds of the House, as it is being submitted under a separate process.
Why have they been held up?
Opinion polls suggest that a growing number of Republicans oppose any new aid to Ukraine. Some liberals are against military support for Israel. While these sentiments were not enough to prevent the US Senate from passing legislation that contained support for both nations in February, it has been a different story in the House.
Mr Johnson has a slim majority in the chamber, and a handful of conservatives have threatened to push for his removal if he backs new Ukraine aid. The effort, led by Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, has two other supporters so far: Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Paul Gosar of Arizona.
Up until now, the Speaker has been reluctant to challenge his right-wing critics. On Wednesday, however, he reversed course, saying his goal was to "do the right thing and let the chips fall where they may".
Meanwhile, left-wing Democrats who object to Israel's conduct of the war in Gaza have said that they will not allow the US to continue to be complicit in a human-rights catastrophe. The Israel aid bill contains $9bn in humanitarian aid, which may help win over some reluctant Democrats.
By allowing separate votes on Israel and Ukraine aid, Mr Johnson hopes to allow individual legislators to vote against provisions they dislike without sinking the entire effort.
What's at stake?
Biden administration officials have warned that the situation in Ukraine is dire. The nation's military is running short on munitions and morale is low, as the Russian army gains ground.
"There is a very real risk that the Ukrainians could lose on the battlefield by the end of 2024, or at least put [Russian President Vladimir] Putin in a position where he could essentially dictate the terms of a political settlement," CIA Director William Burns said during a speech in Texas on Thursday.
50,000 Russian soldiers confirmed dead by BBC
50,000 Russian soldiers confirmed dead by BBC
Ukraine warns of WW3 ahead of stalled US aid vote
Ukraine warns of WW3 ahead of stalled US aid vote
In an interview with the BBC on Wednesday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said his nation needed new support "yesterday, not tomorrow, not today" and warned that Ukraine would fall without American aid.
The vote had been delayed by Republicans for months, with some objecting to sending money overseas instead of dealing with the US-Mexico border issue.
The situation for Israel's military is vastly different to the situation for Ukraine's military. But Mr Biden said that the nation's high-tech air defences - which received their most formidable test in last weekend's Iranian missile and drone assault - needed to be replenished.
Ukraine, which critically relies on Western weapons, desperately needs the aid as it struggles to contain invading Russian troops.
"This is a pivotal moment," Mr Biden wrote in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece on Wednesday that called for the House of Representatives to act.
Ukrainian soldiers are running so low on munitions, they are having to ration shells on the more than 1,200km-long (745 miles) front line.
So will they pass?
On Thursday, Democrats joined with Republicans allied with Mr Johnson to ensure that the aid legislation cleared a formidable procedural hurdle in the House Rules Committee despite dissent in conservative ranks.
On Friday morning, a similar coalition of Democrats and pro-aid Republicans in the full House voted 316-94 to set up debate and final votes on the legislation on Saturday afternoon. This comfortable margin is a strong indication that a large bipartisan majority in the chamber is on course to approve the package.
Democratic support could also give Mr Johnson a political lifeline, as his strategy of bypassing his party's hardcore conservatives to enact legislation may prompt them to follow through on their threats to force a vote on his removal.
A Speaker having to rely on the backing of the minority party, particularly on procedural votes, is rare in modern congressional history. But Mr Johnson's hold on power is tenuous, and the legislators who oppose him and his bid to provide aid to Ukraine occupy some key positions within the House's power structure.
Talking to reporters on Friday, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said Mr Johnson had had to manage a "very unruly" group of Republicans and praised him for working to bring Ukraine aid to a vote.
Democrats may be wary of offering help to Mr Johnson, but the prospect of providing new aid to Ukraine - a top foreign policy priority to their party and Mr Biden - could make it worth the effort.
And that effort appears to be close to paying off.
