House Speaker has no 'appetite' for more US support for Ukraine

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Oct. 11 that he no longer has "an appetite for further Ukraine funding" and hopes that a November electoral victory for former U.S. President Donald Trump will bring a swift end to the war.

Johnson, a Republican and staunch Trump supporter, has served as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives since October 2023. He helped delay aid to Kyiv last fall by refusing to hold a vote on various iterations of a $61 billion foreign assistance bill, but eventually reached a deal to pass the bill.

"I don't have an appetite for further Ukraine funding, and I hope it's not necessary," Johnson said on Oct. 11 in an interview with Punchbowl News.

"If President Trump wins, I believe that he actually can bring that conflict to a close. I really do. I think he'll call (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and tell him that this is enough."

The U.S. presidential election, now less than a month away, holds high stakes for Ukraine. The candidates have diverged sharply on their stances toward ongoing support for Kyiv.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that he will end the full-scale war within 24 hours after being elected and has criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for failing to "make a deal" with Russia. He has also vowed to get the U.S. "out" of the conflict if he wins in November.

Vice President Kamala Harris has accused Trump of advocating a Ukrainian surrender and has said she would refuse to engage in any peace negotiations with Russia without Ukraine's participation.

Johnson's remarks lend fuel to fears that a Trump victory would signal an end to U.S. military aid for Ukraine. In the interview, he suggested that the international community is also tired of continuing to support Ukraine's defense and that a Harris presidency would lead to an endless war.

"And I think everybody around the world is weary of this, and they want it to be resolved," he said.

"So whatever the terms are, I'm not sure, but I think if Kamala Harris is president, I don't think it ends, and that's a desperate and dangerous scenario."

Ukraine scrambles for resources before uncertain US elections, Russian stockpiles not unlimited

Kyiv’s efforts to secure as many resources as possible from Western allies to tip the scale of Russia’s war in its favor will face a critical moment next weekend as leaders of more than 50 countries meet for the final talks on arming Ukraine before the upcoming U.S.

The Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima

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