Polish PM Tusk slams House Speaker Johnson for endangering Ukrainian lives with aid delay
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U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson is personally responsible for the failure to agree on the extension of aid to Ukraine, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said during a visit to Washington, Reuters reported on March 13.
“The fate of millions of people” and “thousands of lives” depends on Johnson, said the Polish official.
Read also: Top House Republicans consider separate Ukraine aid bill
Assistance to Ukraine is not “some kind of political skirmish that only matters on the American political scene,” Tusk stated.
“Mr. Johnson’s failure to make a positive decision will cost thousands of lives. He takes personal responsibility for that,” the Polish premier said.
During a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, Tusk and Polish President Andrzej Duda urged Johnson to speed up the vote to extend aid to Ukraine.
The United States announced a new $300 million military aid package for Ukraine on March 12.
U.S. aid to Ukraine
Earlier, CNN reported citing sources that the Pentagon is exploring the possibility of using the last source of funding for military aid to Ukraine until Congress approves additional money. The Pentagon has approximately $4 billion in presidential drawdown authority funds, but has been reluctant to spend them until Congress guarantees their replenishment.
Bloomberg reported that the White House is considering using about $200 million from the U.S. Army’s budget to send aid to Ukraine.
Read also: US announces first Ukraine military aid package since late 2023
Washington allocated the last military aid package to Ukraine at the end of December 2023.
The Department of Defense reported on March 11 that the Pentagon’s budget request for fiscal year 2025 included $300 million for Ukraine. The document stated that the budget request was based on the 2022 National Defense Strategy, and that one of the priorities of this strategy was “to meet the acute threat of a newly aggressive Russia.”
The U.S. Congress has not yet approved a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine. The Senate supported the bill on Feb. 13, but the House of Representatives has yet to consider it. CNN reported that the House may consider the aid package in late March or April.
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