Pompeo urges Johnson to bring Ukraine aid package to vote

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a conservative think tank’s president pushed Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to approve more aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, arguing that backing Kyiv is vital to securing American freedom and values.

Pompeo, who served in the Trump administration, said in a letter with John Walters, the CEO and president of the Hudson Institute, that protecting Ukraine is connected to issues at home, making the argument as some Republicans, including Johnson, have previously insisted the U.S. must secure the border before sending more aid to Kyiv.

“None of our challenges at home will be made better by abandoning our allies at this time of great need, when they are staring down enemies of the free world,” they wrote, invoking former President Reagan’s doctrine to stand up against totalitarian forces. “The United States remains the indispensable nation. And this is a Time for Choosing. We encourage you
to lead, and we will stand with you.”

The letter was first reported by Politico.

Pompeo has called to support Ukraine before, but the April 1 letter from the conservative Hudson Institute amounts to more pressure on Johnson as Congress returns this week to work on a number of pressing issues.

Johnson is expected in the next few weeks to take up Ukraine funding, along with aid to other U.S. allies including Israel as it fights against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza.

Pompeo and Walters said Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are all threatening to upend peace and security and stressed that deterring each adversary helps to fend off other threats elsewhere in the world from the axis.

“These conflicts are connected and directly impact the security of the United States,” they wrote in the letter. “Americans are safer and more prosperous when we support our friends in thwarting our common enemies who work together against us across the globe.”

Ukraine funding is becoming more urgent as Kyiv struggles on the battlefield against a larger Russian army.

Johnson has signaled a willingness to back Ukraine and said the issue would be taken up as soon as the Easter recess is over, which ends this week.

The U.S. has not sent more aid to Kyiv in around 16 months. The available funds for Ukraine dried up months ago, and the Biden administration says it is urgent to get more weapons to the embattled country as soon as possible.

Russian troops have taken advantage of the U.S. delay on the battlefield, pressing forward incrementally across the front line and capturing the city of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his troops are trying to find a way not to retreat.

Most Republicans support Ukraine aid, but a small band of far-right lawmakers oppose it, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who is threatening to force a vote on Johnson’s ouster over it.

Among the possible ways to shore up support is the idea of giving Ukraine the funding on the basis of a loan, something former President Trump has floated.