UKR Aid Likely To Spark Mutiny Against Johnson; UKR Retreat Looms Without US Support, ATACMS are ‘the answer,’ Says Zelensky; RU Air Defense Struggles to Protect Key Targets; 49 Combat Clashes; RU Loses: 650 Sold, 50 Art-Sys, 170 Mil-Eqpt; UKR Downs 18 Missiles, LIVE UPDATES and LOTS MORE

Ukraine aid likely to spark mutiny against Speaker Johnson, could force him out, GOP rep says:

Speaker Mike Johnson is “committed” to bringing Ukraine aid to the House floor — even though it is likely to spark a mutiny within his caucus and could potentially cost him his job, a GOP congressman said.

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) expressed optimism that Democrats will throw Johnson a lifeline to secure additional funding for Ukraine’s fight against Russia.

“[Johnson’s] committed to making this the top priority when we return back to Washington, DC,” Bacon told “Meet the Press” on Sunday.

However, he acknowledged that the move will likely spark a fight to oust the Louisiana Republican — who has a wafer-thin majority.

“We have some people that if they don’t get 100%, want to bring the house down, and it makes us dysfunctional,” Bacon, one of the more moderate Republicans in the House, complained.

“It is very likely that after this Ukraine bill, we may have a standoff with the speaker.”

When Bacon was asked whether the fight could lead to Johnson being voted out as Speaker, Bacon responded: “It’s possible, I’m not going to deny it.”

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) also conveyed confidence Sunday that the House will take up a supplemental for Kyiv.

“I have spoken to [Johnson] directly. I’m not going to delve into the details of that conversation. But I am confident that he is going to bring a bill to the floor,” he told CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday.

Johnson spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week to affirm his support for the war-torn ally as it seeks to fend off Russian invaders.

The speaker previously teased that he wanted to deal with the Ukraine matter after finishing off the appropriations process for fiscal year 2024, which wrapped up earlier this month. —>READ MORE HERE

Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian retreat looms without US support, ATACMS are ‘the answer,’ says Zelensky

Ukraine’s armed forces could soon be forced to retreat further if U.S. military aid continues to be delayed, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, as he called on Washington to provide more long-range missiles to strike airfields in occupied Crimea.

In an interview with the Washington Post, Zelensky said his military has been unable to plan counteroffensive operations as they do not know if they’ll have the weapons required to conduct one.

“If you are not taking steps forward to prepare another counteroffensive, Russia will take them,” he said, adding: “That’s what we learned in this war: If you don’t do it, Russia will do it.”

After an unsuccessful counteroffensive last year, Russian forces now hold a theater-wide initiative which Ukraine is finding increasingly difficult to contain, largely due to a lack of ammunition.

This was starkly illustrated in February when Russia took Avdiivka, forcing Ukrainian troops to retreat from the town and accelerate the building of defensive lines further back on Ukrainian territory.

“We are trying to find some way not to retreat,” Zelensky said, and added that after the fall of Avdiivka “we have stabilized the situation because of smart steps by our military.”

But he warned the wider situation is grim without further military aid.

“If there is no U.S. support, it means that we have no air defense, no Patriot missiles, no jammers for electronic warfare, no 155mm artillery rounds,” he said.

“It means we will go back, retreat, step by step, in small steps.”

As well as inching forward on the front lines, Russian forces have also escalated missile and drones attacks on Ukraine’s cities and civilian infrastructure. —>READ MORE HERE

Follow links below to +++++relevant+++++ and related stories:

+++++Russia-Ukraine News LATEST UPDATES: (REUTERS) (AP) (NY POST) and (WSJ)+++++

+++++In frontline, 49 combat engagements occurred over past day+++++

+++++ISW: Russian air defense struggles to protect key targets+++++

+++++Russians loses 650 soldiers and up to 50 artillery systems+++++

+++++Russia loses 650 soldiers and over 170 pieces of military equipment – General Staff+++++

+++++Air Force downs 18 targets in response to overnight Russian missile strike, mitigating consequences+++++

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