Bill Johnson to Newsmax: Support Ukraine but 'Ensure Transparency'

Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, told Newsmax on Wednesday that the United States should continue to support Ukraine as it fights off the ongoing invasion by Russia, but said House Republicans want "accountability for the money" being sent overseas.

Johnson, during an interview on "Newsline," was asked about recent comments about support for Ukraine by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C, who told Newsmax on Tuesday that "pulling the plug on Ukraine means that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin keeps going and we'll wind up with a war between NATO and Russia."

Said Johnson: "I don't disagree with him that support for Ukraine is important, too, but we've been asking the administration and President [Joe] Biden for some time now for a plan and a strategy so we can ensure transparency, oversight, [and] accountability for the money that we're sending to Ukraine.

"I believe that we have to stop Vladimir Putin in Ukraine, and we need to give the Ukrainians the tools that they need to do that job so that others don't have to. But it does not have to be combined with the Israeli funding" in one piece of legislation.

Johnson said that he and other House Republicans "absolutely" support splitting aid for Israel and Ukraine into separate bills.

"We think it's the right move because the four packages combined, you're talking support for Israel, support for Ukraine, the border, and Taiwan," Johnson said. "Those are four totally different issues, with each issue having its own set of problems and factors."

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