Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on Wednesday appeared to back allowing Ukraine to use American-provided weapons to strike Russia or Russian-controlled territory.
One reporter asked Johnson about a House Intelligence Committee letter calling on the Biden administration to allow Ukraine to strike Russia with American-supplied weapons.
The letter stipulates that this would allow Ukraine to strike “Russian-controlled territory” as well as Russian territory and represents a significant escalation in America’s seemingly endless proxy war against Russia.
When asked about the letter and if Ukraine should be allowed to strike Russia with American-provided weapons, he said, “I think we need to allow Ukraine to prosecute the war the way they see fit. They need to be able to fight back. And I think us trying to micromanage the effort there – it’s not a good policy for us.”
This would not be the first time that Johnson has taken an unabashedly pro-Ukraine position.
Johnson has pushed, and passed, the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act (REPO Act), which Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) has said would hamstring a future Donald Trump presidency and potentially drive allies toward competing financial systems that Russia and China control.
“The REPO Act, currently debated in the House, would freeze the Russia sanctions in place and require an act of Congress to change. House Republicans must not pass legislation that makes it impossible for Donald Trump to engage in diplomacy,” Vance wrote.
In his memo to Republicans, Vance said that the REPO Act could cause significant blowback to America, including:
- Hampering the U.S. Treasuries markets and hindering America’s ability to meet debt obligations
- Tying the hands of a future president, including former President Donald Trump
- Empowering Russia and China at the expense of the U.S. financial system
- The majority of the bill’s provisions are shielded from judicial review
Vance wrote that anti-Trump people will be used to “control” the former president.
“I’ve heard multiple people who hate Donald Trump argue that the REPO Act will be used to control him in the next administration. So why is a Republican House speaker pushing it through Congress?”
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.