(Reuters) – A senior Ukrainian official said on Thursday the election of Mike Johnson, a U.S. Republican who has been an opponent to Ukraine aid, as speaker of the House of Representatives would not affect Washington’s vital assistance for Kyiv.
Johnson, who was named House speaker on Wednesday, told reporters he supported further aid to Ukraine “with conditions”, with accountability and clear objectives from the White House.
Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, said Johnson’s election was good for Ukraine because it ended a three-week leadership vacuum in the House.
“I’m more than sure that cooperation will continue, assistance will continue,” Danilov said in televised comments.
“The statement made by the speaker that they would like to check the assistance they provide – this is a completely natural thing. We’re happy to provide all information about the aid, there are no secrets.”
Ukraine relies heavily on support from its partners – both militarily and economically. Recent calls from within the United States to review or cut assistance to Kyiv have raised concerns about the future of the aid.
U.S. President Joe Biden asked Congress last week to pass a $106 billion funding package which included billions of dollars in assistance for Ukraine.
(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa; editing by Tom Balmforth and Deborah Kyvrikosaios)
