Speaker Johnson announces changes to Ukraine aid bill. Funds may be allocated as a loan

According to Johnson, he plans to introduce a bill to allocate funding for other countries, including Ukraine, after the House of Representatives returns from Easter recess. He also announced "some important innovations" to the aid package.

He cited the idea of lending money to Ukraine, which has gained popularity as a way to support Ukraine in a way that would ease the concerns of American conservatives.

"Even President Trump has talked about the loan concept, where … we’re not just giving foreign aid. We’re setting it up in a relationship where they (Ukraine -ed.) can provide it back to us when the time is right," Johnson said.

Johnson says that in a divided government, consensus should be sought because "some things need to be bipartisan."

At the same time, Johnson called the draft law on the confiscation of Russian assets frozen in the United States and the possibility of transferring them to Ukraine for use against Russia "pure poetry."

US assistance progress

The United States has prepared a bill that provides for $60 billion in aid to Ukraine. This document has now been approved by the Senate, the upper chamber of the US Congress. In order for it to be signed by President Joe Biden, the bill still needs to pass the lower chamber of Congress, the House of Representatives. The majority in this chamber is made up of Republicans who oppose the adoption of new aid to Ukraine.

The Senate bill was proposed after Republicans blocked a broader proposal on February 7 that included aid to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan while also making changes to U.S. border security and migration policy. The document was a compromise between the two parties after months of discussion. However, it almost immediately faced sharp opposition from Republicans in the House of Representatives.

Currently, Republicans are also working on their own aid package for Ukraine. In particular, it may include a clause on blocked Russian assets.