Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Republican politician Kevin McCarthy on becoming Speaker of the House of Representatives, telling him that Ukraine will count upon his “continued support” and more U.S. aid.
“Congratulations to [Kevin McCarrthy] on his election as the Speaker of the [United States] House of Representatives,” Zelensky posted via social networks.
“U.S. support across all areas has been essential for Ukraine's triumph at the front. The Ukrainians are counting on the ongoing support as well as further U.S. assistance to bring our victory closer to us,” he added.
McCarthy won the post of House Speaker to succeed the 82-year-old long-time Democratic Party politician Nancy Pelosi, after a brutal sequence of 15 votes. It was a race unlike any other in 163 years. An America First-type faction of Republicans called the ‘Taliban 20' refused their backing of McCarthy and sought to get guarantees on matters such as border security.
Concerning Ukraine, McCarthy has been slightly less hawkish than Republicans like the leader of the Senate, Mitch McConnell, who claimed in a controversial manner that “[p]roviding assistance for Ukrainians to defeat the Russians is the number one priority for the United States right now according to most Republicans” in the days before Christmas. Unfortunately, this is despite the continuing crises of inflation and borders.
In October, McCarthy stated that people were “not going to write a blank check to Ukraine” when they were in an economic downturn.
Ukraine is already receiving about 100 billion dollars from American taxpayers, which is equivalent to “more than $200 million [in 2022] from each Congressional district” According to congressman Thomas Massie.
Then, in the last few days, the Biden administration announced it will ship M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles (BFVs) to Ukraine — even though Zelensky has complained that there was “no rational reason why” he has “not yet been supplied” with more powerful Western tanks, like those of the American M1 Abrams or the German Leopard 2.
