Moscow, November 28 – Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson expressed confidence that the US Congress will be able to approve funding for Israel and Ukraine before the holidays, as reported by Axios. “Israel is a top priority for the United States, and support for our ally there is crucial,” Johnson said during an event in Florida on Monday. He also referred to Ukraine as “another priority,” adding that “additional assistance to Kyiv is important” according to the majority of members of Congress. However, he pointed out that resolving this issue requires a review of US border policy. Earlier, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer announced that the upper chamber of Congress will vote on President Joe Biden’s package request for assistance to Ukraine and Israel on December 4. Schumer called the consideration of this legislation “one of the most important tasks” that members of Congress need to address. Congressman Michael Turner, however, stated that it will be “very difficult” to pass the aid package for Ukraine and Israel by the end of the year, with the main obstacle being the US government’s policy on southern border security. Despite the inclusion of funding for southern border security in the package, there have been no changes in the White House’s policy towards it, he noted. The US administration had previously requested over $105 billion from Congress to support Ukraine and Israel. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives is currently refusing to consider this request together, proposing to separate aid to Kyiv and some other positions for separate discussions.
