Mike Johnson, speaker of the United States House of Representatives, endured a titanic struggle to get Ukraine aid through the House, one that demonstrates the benefits of cooperation and the pitfalls of extremism.
His ultimate success on Saturday, however, came at a dear price, one paid by Ukrainians in blood and in the countless lives that might have been saved had Johnson taken up the bill when it was passed by the Senate in February.
His refusal to marshal the coalition of Democratic and Republican votes in support of the package faded last week in the face of expert briefings that finally convinced him of the gravity of the situation and the importance of Ukraine’s fight to U.S. interests.