Republicans blocking bill that includes funds for Ukraine are on Putin's side – White House

The White House has criticised the position of Republican lawmakers who have been blocking a bill for additional funding for national security, which includes assistance for Ukraine.

 White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre noted during a briefing that Republicans previously rejected a bipartisan deal on border security because former US President Donald Trump was concerned that it "would be [too] effective and undermine his [platform he plans to run on in 2024]".

"Faced with the choice of joining President Biden and the Border Patrol union to secure our border, congressional Republicans instead sided with Donald Trump, fentanyl traffickers, and smugglers. All because of politics," she said.

Now, she said, Republicans are again doing the same, blocking the bill that includes additional national security funding.

"But shockingly, House Republicans are still at it right now, siding with Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Tehran against our defence industrial base, against NATO, against Ukraine, [and] against our interests in the Indo-Pacific," Jean-Pierre emphasised.

She called for an end to the games and for politicians to "put our national security first".

During a briefing on 14 February, Mike Johnson, Republican Speaker of the House, stated that he will not bring a bill that includes additional funding for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan to the floor for a vote.

This week, the US Senate voted in favour of a package bill that provides US$61 billion for Ukraine to support its efforts to counter Russian aggression, US$14 billion for Israel in its war against Hamas, and another US$4.83 billion to support partners in the Indo-Pacific region, including Taiwan, and to deter Chinese aggression.

It remains to be seen whether enough Republicans in the House of Representatives will agree to support the bill after it is approved in the Senate.