Boris Johnson offered a compelling case for optimism regarding the potential re-election of Donald Trump, despite concerns surrounding US aid for Ukraine.
“I don’t think any US president, let alone a president who wants to make America great again, is going to want to kick off by basically losing, allowing the West to be humiliated by Vladimir Putin,” Johnson told CTV Question Period.
Johnson’s endorsement of Trump, the frontrunner in the Republican presidential nominee race, comes amidst a deadlock in the US Congress over a proposed US$60 billion aid package for Ukraine.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has refrained from scheduling a vote on the bill, as many conservative Republicans, including Trump, are hesitant to provide additional aid unless it is structured as a loan. There is also a push to tie the funding to various border security measures in an effort to sway Republican members against sending more financial assistance to Ukraine.
While acknowledging concerns about waning support, Johnson expressed confidence that Congress will ultimately approve the aid package.
“This is a matter for the US Congress. It’s a matter for them, but my impression is that there’s a lot of support now in the Republican Party for treating this as the supplemental, the $60 billion, which is very important for Ukraine, treating that as a loan,” Johnson explained.
Despite his unwavering support for Ukraine following Russia‘s invasion in February 2022, Johnson has also shown solidarity with Trump. In a January op-ed for the Daily Mail, Johnson floated the idea that a “Trump presidency could be just what the world needs.”
When pressed by the reporter on reconciling his backing for Ukraine with Trump’s stance on the country, Johnson pointed to Trump’s past actions in Iran and Syria.
“You look at Iran. The activities, the often-malign activities or destabilising activities of Iran in the Middle East. Nobody much did anything until suddenly Donald Trump, January 2020, as far as I can remember, he takes out Qasem Soleimani, the head of the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps). Look at what he did with Syria,” Johnson highlighted.
Despite acknowledging the scrutiny against Trump, Johnson stressed the importance of considering Trump’s history and achievements.
“Of course, we’ve all got to be anxious about the situation. Of course, we’ve got to work and work and work to persuade our friends that it’s the right thing to do. But I think if you look at the facts, if you look at the history of what he’s done in the past, there are reasons for optimism,” Johnson concluded.
Johnson remains optimistic about Ukraine‘s prospects in the ongoing conflict but insists that additional aid from the US is imperative.
“The story of the war over the last two years has been that every time we think we’ve given them enough, it’s proved incorrect. We need to keep giving more,” Johnson stressed.
