US President Joe Biden called on lawmakers from both parties to approve additional military aid to Ukraine and Israel as soon as possible.
He wrote about this in a column for The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
The head of the White House reminded that the Defense Forces of Ukraine are restraining the onslaught of the Russians along the entire front line, and Israel, together with its allies, repelled a massive missile and drone attack by Iran over the weekend.
"Both Ukraine and Israel are under attack by defiant enemies who seek their destruction. Putin wants to subjugate the people of Ukraine and absorb their nation into the new Russian empire. The government of Iran wants to destroy Israel forever, erasing the worldʼs only Jewish state from the face of the earth," said Biden.
In his opinion, the United States should not put up with this, because the security of the United States is at stake: "If Russia wins, Putinʼs forces will move closer to our NATO allies than ever before... We must increase support for Ukraine now to stop Putin from these encroachment and ensure that he does not involve American troops in a future war in Europe."
Separately, Biden emphasized that decisions on military aid to Ukraine and Israel do not mean "writing unlimited checks", but investments in the American base.
The Intelligence Committee of the US House of Representatives, after a secret briefing on Ukraine, also called on Congress to urgently approve aid — by the end of this week. The corresponding statement was made public by the chairman of the Committee, Republican Congressman Mike Turner, and a high-ranking member of the committee, Democratic Congressman Jim Himes.
- US military aid to Ukraine was exhausted at the end of 2023. Last year in October, Joe Biden submitted a request to Congress for the allocation of $106 billion, of which more than $61 billion is intended for Ukraine, mostly for the purchase of weapons from the United States. The rest of the funds from the package were intended for Israel, aid to the Asia-Pacific region, humanitarian activities in the Gaza Strip, etc. However, the request was not approved due to political disputes.
- Subsequently, an alternative draft law appeared on the $95.34 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, of which $61 billion is for Ukraine. The US Senate voted for him on February 13, 2024. Both houses of the US Congress (Senate and House of Representatives) must approve the legislation before President Joe Biden can sign it. However, the US House of Representatives adjourned without voting for aid to Ukraine.
- On April 16, 2024, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson presented four separate bills on aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and national security priorities. Bills are scheduled to be submitted for consideration by the end of this week.
- According to Johnson, the national security bill would include seizing Russian assets and using them to help Ukraine, providing loan assistance, new sanctions against Iran and a ban on TikTok. It will be possible to make amendments to each of these draft laws.