The US has so far been Ukraine’s biggest contributor in the war against Russia, and Ukraine is dependent on aid packages from the West.
– It is the courage of the Ukrainians and your support that determines how things go on the battlefield, says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a press conference earlier in October.
But after Wednesday night’s election of Mike Johnson as Speaker, the concern that help from the United States will not be forthcoming is burning. Namely, there is political disagreement in the US regarding the country’s support for Ukraine.
This is how the new speaker will affect the Ukrainian war
According to SVT’s US correspondent Fouad Youcefi, the election of Mike Johnson was “very bad news for Ukraine”.
The Speaker of the United States has a very significant role and is usually seen as the most important power holder in the Congress as the Senate is less controlled from the top.
The Speaker has the opportunity to unilaterally rule over the agenda of the House of Representatives in order to carry out his political agenda – and decide which regulations must be followed in individual cases. And Johnson’s support is not self-evident.
– Mike Johnson has voted no several times when continued support for Ukraine has been discussed, says Youcefi in SVT’s Current Affairs.
Elin Jönsson: Ukraine received the news with great concern
SVT’s Ukraine correspondent Elin Jönsson, who is on the ground in Ukraine, describes the anxiety after the presidential election as great.
– When we meet soldiers here, they know exactly which weapons come from which country, and how much you get, she says.
She also says that many people follow American domestic policy “very closely”.
– Above all, you know what happens if the support is not forthcoming, she says.
Watch Fouad Youcefi and Elin Jönsson explain how the US presidential election affects Ukraine in the video above.