Joe Biden said this week he expected the speaker to keep a commitment to secure support needed for Ukraine, but with McCarthy ousted, the outlook is less clear
The historic ousting of House speaker Kevin McCarthy adds further uncertainty to the outlook for US aid to Ukraine, after support for Kyiv was excluded from the recent US government funding bill, leaving Joe Biden to rely on the Republican speaker for a separate deal.
The president said at the weekend that US support for Ukraine could not be interrupted “under any circumstances” and that he fully expected McCarthy “to keep his commitment to secure the passage and support needed to help Ukraine as they defend themselves against aggression and brutality”.
The need to shore up support for Kyiv has become more pressing, with Adm Rob Bauer, Nato’s most senior military official, saying on Tuesday “the bottom of the barrel is now visible”, with Ukraine said to be firing thousands of shells – many of which come from Nato – every day.
