House Speaker Johnson may split up aid to Ukraine, border security funding bill – Semafor

The speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, told the heads of the parliaments of the Baltic states that the issues of border security with Mexico and aid to Ukraine will most likely be split up, Semafor wrote, citing its own sources. 

Johnson reportedly admitted that the issue cannot be resolved until the text of the Senate agreement is published.

Semafor notes that holding a separate vote on military aid to Kyiv could draw criticism of Johnson from right-wing lawmakers who oppose further support for Ukraine.

The publication turned to Johnson's office for an explanation, and his representative Raj Shah stated that "the comments were made in a hypothetical context."

On January 12, 2024, the representative of the White House, John Kirby, said that the United States had stopped military aid to Ukraine, so Congress should approve a new package to support Kyiv.

US President Biden said that the inaction of Congress endangers the security of the US and NATO, and also called for the border to be resolved as soon as possible and to approve aid to Ukraine.

Johnson said that American lawmakers oppose Vladimir Putin , but "the status quo [in Ukraine] cannot be maintained."