Rick Crawford, a critic of aid to Ukraine, has been appointed chairman of the House Intelligence Committee in the U.S. Congress, – Bloomberg

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson has appointed Rick Crawford, a Republican from Arkansas who has opposed aid to Ukraine, as the new chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, replacing Mike Turner.

This was reported by Bloomberg.

It is noted that this decision, made less than a day after Turner’s unexpected removal, gives an advantage to a lawmaker who aligns more closely with President-elect Donald Trump’s “America First” ideology, just days before the inauguration.

Johnson explained his decision as necessary for a “fresh start” for the intelligence community, emphasizing that it was unrelated to President-elect Donald Trump.

The publication points out that Mike Turner, known for his support of Ukraine, disagreed with Trump on various issues and actively advocated for a consistent flow of security assistance as well as the acceleration of arms deliveries to Kyiv.

Rick Crawford, a military veteran, has stated that he supports lethal military aid to Ukraine but opposes “sending American tax dollars on European vacations for bureaucrats’ salaries or subsidies for farmers in some other country.”

In April 2024, he voted against a $60.8 billion aid package for Ukraine and its allies, which included $9 billion in economic assistance.

It should be recalled that on January 15, Speaker Mike Johnson removed Mike Turner from his position as chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.