House Speaker Mike Johnson faces a defining dilemma on Ukraine
House Speaker Mike Johnson has the fate of a democracy and a people in his hands.
It’s not the United States, which will survive even if the coming general election results in another existential test for the constitutional system.
Johnson has the power to save Ukraine, two years after Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded, decreeing that it didn’t have the right to exist.
Ukraine’s soldiers are running out of bullets. There are signs that Russia may be about to break a stalemate and tip the war its way.
Johnson, a backbencher who was the last-ditch choice to lead the mutinous House GOP majority last year, could relieve Ukraine’s agony and help ensure its survival as an independent nation in the coming days.
He could allow a vote on a bill that includes $60 billion in aid that the Pentagon says is needed for Kyiv to continue to fight effectively. It would likely pass with a comfortable bipartisan majority.
The Louisiana Republican’s reluctance to do so is a commentary on the growing power of GOP front-runner Donald Trump, the sharp turn of his party away from its globalist pro-democracy heritage, and perhaps even his own ambition since borrowing Democratic votes to finance Ukraine’s defense could cost him the speakership.
His predicament will be highlighted at a meeting of the top four congressional leaders at the White House on Tuesday called by President Joe Biden.
It’s morning in Ukraine. Here’s what you need to know
Sweden has cleared a final hurdle in its bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) after Hungary approved its accession to the alliance.
Sweden and Finland sought to join the alliance in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, abandoning the decades-long policy of non-alignment. Sweden can expect that Russia will “not like” the country’s accession to NATO, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the move toward Sweden’s membership, and said that Ukraine is looking forward “to working closely with Sweden and other NATO allies to advance Ukraine’s NATO membership.”
A decision to admit Ukraine would extend the sacred NATO pledge that an attack on one member is an attack on all to a nation Russia regards, at a minimum, as part of its sphere of influence
Here are the top headlines:
- Biden pushes for aid: President Joe Biden will convene the top four congressional leaders on Tuesday as the White House ratchets up pressure on lawmakers to pass additional funding to Ukraine, and ahead of a partial government shutdown deadline this week.
- European support: French President Emmanuel Macron has said that sending Western troops to Ukraine cannot be ruled out. He also announced a new coalition to supply medium and long-range “missiles and bombs” to Ukraine at a European aid summit for the war-hit country.
- On the front lines: Ukrainian forces have retreated from the village of Lastochkynein the eastern Donetsk region, both sides have confirmed, as Russian forces intensify attacks and continue to push west. Lastochkyne is near Avdiivka, where Russia raised its flag on February 18.
- Fighting elsewhere: In Russia, a Ukrainian attack killed at least three people and wounded three others after a drone strike hit a car with civilians in a village in the Belgorod region, the regional governor said.
- Prisoner exchange: Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny was due to be exchanged in a prisoner swap before he died, according to his aides. A Western official confirmed that early discussions of an exchange were underway, but said no formal offer had been made. The US State Department would not comment on the reports.
- Navalny funeral: A public farewell to Navalny is expected to be held this week. Navalny’s mother had previously said she was being pressured into having a secret burial.
Biden to convene top four congressional leaders as pressure builds for Ukraine aid
President Joe Biden delivers remarks from the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC. on February 16. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
President Joe Biden will convene the top four congressional leaders on Tuesday as the White House ratchets up pressure on lawmakers to pass additional funding to Ukraine, and ahead of a partial government shutdown deadline this week.
The meeting – which will include Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries – comes at a pivotal moment following Johnson’s resistance to Ukraine aid.
Biden has repeatedly framed the need to support the country against Russia as a matter of national security abroad and at home.
In the face of congressional inaction on a package that includes $60 billion in aid to Ukraine, the president has directed his team to make the consequences “abundantly clear,” a US official told CNN.
Russia will not like Sweden’s accession to NATO, Swedish prime minister says
Ulf Kristersson attends a press conference in Stockholm, Sweden, on February 26. Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images
Sweden can expect that Russia will “not like” the country’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Monday.
“As for Russia, the only thing we can safely expect is that they do not like Sweden becoming a NATO member. They didn’t like Finland becoming a NATO member either,” Kristersson said at a news conference in Stockholm.
Kristersson highlighted that Russia’s ambitions to limit NATO expansion have backfired, and also noted the historic nature of his country’s ascension into the alliance.
“Sweden is leaving behind 200 years of neutrality and non-alignment. It’s a big step and something to take seriously but it is also a very natural step that we take. Membership in NATO means that we now come home to a large number of democracies’ cooperation for peace and freedom. A very successful cooperation,” Kristersson said.
Earlier on Monday, Hungary’s parliament approved Sweden’s bid to join NATO, clearing the last hurdle for the country to become the 32nd member of the military alliance.
Source:https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-02-27-24/index.html
