Kharkiv could become ‘second Aleppo’ without US aid to Ukraine, mayor says | First Thing

House speaker seeks to split US aid into separate votes. Plus, Trump rebuked by judge in warning against juror ‘intimidation’

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The mayor of Kharkiv has said the city is at risk of becoming “a second Aleppo”, unless US politicians vote for fresh military aid to help Ukraine obtain the air defences needed to prevent long-range Russian attacks.

What’s the latest with US funding? The Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, has refused to allow a vote on the $95bn joint Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan aid bill already passed by the Senate. Instead, this week he proposed a complicated plan for separate votes for each section.

How is Zelenskiy responding to Iran’s attack on Israel? He said Ukraine “could have received the same level of protection [as Israel] long ago” with intercepting drones and missiles.