U.S. House Speaker Johnson Proposes $61 Billion Aid Package and ATACMS Missiles for Ukraine

A draft bill on additional funding for Ukraine, prepared by U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, proposes to allocate about $61 billion for aid, as well as to quickly transfer long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine. 

The bill provides for the allocation of almost $28 billion for all operations related to US military assistance to Ukraine. Nearly $13.8 billion will be directed by September 30, 2025, to the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative program, under which the Pentagon signs contracts with American defense companies to provide Kyiv with new weapons and equipment.

Over $13.4 billion more can be directed to replace and repair weapons transferred to Ukraine, as well as to finance the training. Johnson's bill allocates $1.6 billion under the Foreign Military Financing program, which provides grants for the purchase of weapons from manufacturers.

A separate provision of the bill stipulates that the Biden administration must transfer long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine "as soon as possible." However, the U.S. President may postpone this decision if it "will harm the interests of US national security." 

As for economic assistance, the bill provides for the allocation of $7.85 billion in loans by September 30, 2025. After November 2025, the US President will be able to write off 50% of the debt on these loans, and from January 1, 2026 - 100% of the debt on condition that this decision is supported by Congress.

Within 30 days after adoption, the administration must provide Congress with a report on all weapons and related funding that the United States has provided to Ukraine since February 24, 2022. And within 60 days, a report on how the control over the accounting of weapons was carried out.

In addition, within 45 days, the U.S. Congress must receive a strategy for “supporting Ukraine” from the Biden administration, which should be multi-year and contain a list of "specific goals" that the administration seeks to achieve.

Speaker Johnson plans vote on his Ukraine aid package for April 20. According to the House Speaker, the texts of three separate aid bills for Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine will be released by the end of Wednesday. As Johnson explains, four aid bills for US allies and countermeasures against Russia, China, and Iran will be combined procedurally, and their introduction on Wednesday will allow for discussion of possible amendments.

If approved, it must be passed by the Senate and signed by President Biden.

President Biden has pledged to sign Speaker Johnson's bills if they receive backing from the U.S. Congress:

“The House must pass the package this week and the Senate should quickly follow. I will sign this into law immediately to send a message to the world: We stand with our friends, and we won’t let Iran or Russia succeed.”