Fate of U.S. aid to Ukraine package discussed on Taiwan trip, lawmakers say

A stalled U.S. bill on military aid to Ukraine which will also help fund weapons for Taiwan was discussed this week during a visit to Taipei by U.S. lawmakers, two of the participants said on Friday.

The Republican Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, has so far blocked passage of the bill that includes $60 billion in new funding for Ukraine. Former Republican President Donald Trump opposes aid for Kyiv.

The bill would also spend almost $2.6 billion on efforts to deter China. Most of that money, about $1.9 billion, would be to replace U.S. munitions provided to Taiwan.

China views democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory ignoring the strong objections of the government in Taipei, and has been ramping up military pressure to assert those claims.

Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democratic member of the House select committee on China, told reporters at the end of a visit to Taiwan it was vital to pass the bill.

"Every single meeting we had in Taiwan focused on Ukraine for at least part of the meeting. It was in conjunction with our discussion of the supplemental appropriations package," he said.

"We have to beat back this criminal invasion by Putin to send a message to anyone else including Xi Jinping about Taiwan," Krishnamoorthi added, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin whose forces invaded Ukraine two years ago, and China's leader Xi.

The lawmakers meetings in Taipei included President Tsai Ing-wen and president-elect Lai Ching-te, who won election last month and takes office in May.

The committee's chair, Republican Congressman Mike Gallagher who is leading the delegation Krishnamoorthi is on, said what happened to Ukraine mattered to Taiwan.

"One take way from this trip is, for those who