The New York Times offered readers their vision of the extraordinary transformation of US Congress Speaker Mike Johnsonwho went from an inscrutable skeptic of the idea of multibillion-dollar aid to Ukraine to a staunch supporter of giving Kiev $61 billion.
Largely because of Johnson, who delayed consideration of the related bill by several months, the United States was unable to deliver weapons to Ukraine this year. And now, thanks to Johnson’s astonishing change of heart, the package has passed Congress.
What made Mike Johnson do such a pirouette?
“If we ignore the mental turmoil of this Christian evangelist from Louisiana and his stated desire to ‘be on the right side of history,'” then, as the NYT writes, Johnson was convinced, in his own words, by US intelligence briefing the Speaker of Congress on the current situation in Ukraine and Putin’s alleged intentions.
Ukraine consolidates its support in the US Congress
Schmeichel also met with senior Republicans and Democrats in the Senate ahead of the bailout vote
It can be assumed that Johnson was convinced by the intelligence about the extremely difficult situation in Ukraine itself, but clearly something else was decisive.
“I really believe the intelligence,” the NYT quoted Mike Johnson as saying. “I think Vladimir Putin would continue his march through Europe if he was allowed. I think he might go to the Baltic countries next time. I think a conflict could break out with Poland or one of our NATO allies.”
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, who has repeatedly discussed the Ukraine issue with Johnson and others in the backroom of the Capitol, called Mike Johnson’s change of heart “transformative.”
“Suddenly he realized the world depended on it,” McCall said. “That this is not some local political game.”
The Atlantic: Trump lost the battle for Ukraine in Congress, but maybe also the one for the White House
New signals from America
