President Volodymyr Zelenskyy influenced the decision of US House Speaker Mike Johnson regarding the continuation of aid to Ukraine during his visit to Washington in December, according to Politico.
Sources report that in December, during his meeting with Johnson, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine could hold out without US assistance until March-April. He emphasized that there would be no weapons afterwards.
According to Politico, the Speaker of the House perceived the Ukrainian president's words as the deadline for agreeing on aid.
The publication states that after the Ukrainian president's visit, Johnson instructed to prepare a bill by the set deadline. The preparation was handled by Johnson's assistant for national security, John Hodges, who is the most active supporter of Ukraine within Johnson's office.
Politico notes that these events effectively changed Johnson's position, who since his appointment in October 2023 had been more stringent in supporting Ukraine.
New US aid package
In the US, after months of blocking aid to Ukraine, agreements were finally reached. The US President signed a law extending support to Ukraine and announced the allocation of a new $1 billion aid package.
During the latest Ramshtain format meeting, the US also announced the allocation of the largest aid package of $6 billion.
Read about how US aid can change the situation on the front lines in the material by RBC-Ukraine.
