Baltic parliament leaders issue support for Johnson ahead of high-stakes Ukraine vote

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is receiving support from his Baltic counterparts to move toward a vote to provide more U.S. assistance to Ukraine, following months of intense diplomacy by European officials who call for continued American leadership on the world stage.

In a letter sent Thursday, the three heads of the Baltic parliaments thanked Johnson for organizing a vote on new U.S. assistance to Ukraine. They also called for quick approval in the House plenary; A vote is expected to take place on Saturday.

“We count on Congress to make the right decision and pass the assistance package Ukraine so urgently needs,” the parliament leaders wrote.

The letter was signed by Lauri Hussar, speaker of Estonia’s parliament, the Riigikogu; Daiga Mieriņa, president of the Latvian parliament, the Saeima; and Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, speaker of Lithuania’s parliament, the Seimas.

The letter reflects acute anxiety in Europe over whether Congress will continue to provide aid to Ukraine, which was invaded in February 2022 by Russia.

House Republicans who oppose providing aid to Ukraine, many of them influenced by former President Trump, have delayed additional U.S. aid to Ukraine for months. They have criticized Europe for failing to ease what they see as a burden on the US in financing European security.

The Baltic countries, which are NATO allies, believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to invade their countries if he is successful in Ukraine.

“Europe is taking historic steps to strengthen its defense capabilities, but this inevitably takes time – time that Ukraine does not have. That is why US assistance is indispensable at this crucial juncture, before Europe’s ability to defend itself becomes a reality and we do even more to help Ukraine,” the Baltic speakers wrote.

“The threat from Russia remains imminent, which is why we salute the compelling U.S. leadership and dedication to freedom and security in Europe in this joint effort.”

Johnson met with the three parliamentary leaders at the end of January, when they came to Washington to advocate that the US fulfill its commitments to Ukraine.

At that point, the House speaker told them he would likely split President Biden’s supplemental national security request, under pressure from Republican critics who opposed more aid to Ukraine.

Johnson on Wednesday unveiled four separate bills, a process intended to allow critics of aid to Ukraine to vote against but allow the legislation to pass. The bills also include aid to Israel and the Indo-Pacific and other national security priorities, including language that would effectively ban social media app TikTok unless it spins off from its Chinese company.

“History judges us by what we do,” Johnson said. “This is a critical moment right now, a critical moment on the world stage. I could make a selfish decision and do something different. I’m doing what I believe is the right thing here. I believe that providing lethal aid to Ukraine is extremely important.”

Johnson’s remarks were echoed by Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, who supported the Speaker.

“I agree with President Johnson: history judges us by what we do. I hope Congress does the right thing. Ukraine needs our help now,” Kallas, posted in X.

Johnson’s comments underscore the intense pressure he has faced since being elevated to speaker of the House in October, when a handful of conservative Republicans managed to oust then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) over a series of grievances that included opposition to more aid. to Ukraine.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has introduced a motion to vacate the seat that would remove Johnson, but has not yet acted on it. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said this week that he would support the motion if it were offered.