[Tee tiong huat]

The Ukrainian govt has informed White House that it plans to fire the country’s top military commander overseeing war against Russian occupation forces. The move to oust Ukrainian General Valery Zaluzhny, who has clashed with President Volodymyr over military strategy and other issues, follows a Ukrainian counteroffensive last year that failed to recover significant amounts of Russian-held territory.

A source close to Zelenskiy’s is claiming the pair have also disagreed over a new military mobilization drive, with the president opposing Zaluzhny’s proposal to call up 500,000 fresh troops..

U.S. house. Speaker Mike Johnson is facing international criticism over his lack of swift action on Ukraine aid, which is ratcheting up pressure to make a critical decision that will not only have massive implications for his rookie speakership but also for Ukraine’s ongoing war effort against Russia.

So far, Johnson has resisted calls to bring a Senate-passed aid package up for a quick vote – a move that would require Democratic support and almost certainly spark a revolt from his right flank, something Johnson is eager to avoid. The speaker has said the legislation, which includes over $60 billion in assistance for Ukraine, would not pass in its current form, and privately told Republicans during a closed-door meeting last week there is “no rush” to address the issue, with Congress since having left town for a nearly two-week recess. The high stakes, high-profile debate & Johnson’s pivotal role in a legislative response came into even greater focus over weekend. 

Global leaders gathered at annual Munich Security Conference, while Ukraine suffered a significant setback to Russian forces on the battlefield – twin developments that have injected a new sense of urgency for Congress to act as the 2nd anniversary of Russian invasion of Ukraine approaches this weekend & as the Ukrainian military warns it is running out of resources to resist.

While there is a contingent of House Republicans who support additional Ukraine aid and it has majority support from the chamber as a whole, Johnson has to manage a rambunctious right-flank that is deeply resistant to additional aid – including some who have threatened his job would suffer a similar fate as ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy if he puts a standalone bill on the floor. And further complicating matters, the Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump has also injected himself into the debate, urging Republicans to oppose Ukraine funding and continuing to rail against NATO.

Some GOP lawmakers like Sen. J.D. Vance echoed Trump’s rhetoric arguing no more support should be given, while others are offering bipartisan solutions in the absence of a clear path forward. But it is unclear where Johnson — who is caught in the middle of competing wings of his party stands, even amid fresh warnings over the weekend about the direness of the situation.

“I think many of us understand the plans are out there,” one GOP lawmaker, granted condition of anonymity to speak freely, told CNN.  “If there is a Mike Johnson plan, there aren’t any House Republicans that are aware of its existence.”
https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/19/politics/...index.html