US House Speaker to meet with Zelenskyy this week
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, July 10, during the NATO summit in Washington, according to Reuters.
Support for Ukraine is expected to be a focal point at the summit in Washington this week. There are concerns about the future of US support for Kyiv should Donald Trump win the presidential election on November 5.
In April, Johnson spearheaded a bipartisan aid package of $95 billion for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, which was opposed by allies of former President Donald Trump in Congress.
Republican presidential candidate Trump has said that if elected, he will quickly move to cut aid to Kyiv. Although Trump refrained from lobbying against the aid package in April, he caused a stir in February when he suggested that the US should not defend NATO countries that fail to meet their defense spending obligations.
NATO summit
From July 9 to 11, the US capital will host the anniversary NATO summit, marking the alliance's 75th anniversary. The issue of Ukraine will be one of the main topics on the agenda for the meeting of the 32 member country leaders.
Participants are expected to discuss strengthening Ukraine’s air defense and the country's prospects for NATO membership. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that a comprehensive aid package for Ukraine is planned to be agreed upon at the summit.
Estonian President Alar Karis emphasized that Ukraine's NATO membership should not be a bargaining chip at the summit, as Ukraine's path to membership is already irreversible.
