In the White House, they believe that Johnson is looking for a pretext to avoid putting the bill on aid to Ukraine to a vote

The Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States, Mike Johnson, is seeking a reason not to bring the bill on aid to Ukraine to a vote.

This was stated by White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre at a briefing.

She was asked whether President Joe Biden is considering the possibility of separately putting forward only aid to Ukraine without the humanitarian component, as Johnson had previously stated. Jean-Pierre replied that the presidential bill would have garnered votes in the House.

“I think what’s happening is that the Speaker is looking for a pretext that is not justified, that is not needed. Because we know that if he put it to a vote, it would pass,” she said.

Earlier, Republicans said that Johnson plans to bring aid to Ukraine to a vote after Catholic Easter, which is celebrated this year on March 31. However, they did not specify which bill is being referred to: the presidential one passed in the Senate or a new one.

Johnson previously stated that aid to Ukraine should be provided as a loan and announced a corresponding bill.

Meanwhile, the White House already admits that due to “Washington’s political dysfunction,” American aid will be allocated to Ukraine too late to “avoid a catastrophe.”