US President Joe Biden asked for support for Ukraine and Israel in his address to Americans from the Oval Office.
The US president called the current moment a "inflection point in history" — a battle between world democracies and autocracies.
Biden compared the war in Israel with Russiaʼs war in Ukraine. He accused Hamas and Russian President Vladimir Putin of wanting to "completely annihilate a neighboring democracy," however, he noted that they "two different threats."
Biden noted that he would send an urgent budget request to Congress for additional funding for Ukraine and Israel, and also said that support for both countries is "vital to Americaʼs national security."
The US president emphasized that the terrorist group Hamas "does not represent the Palestinian people" and accused it of using the Palestinians "as human shields". He spoke out against Islamophobia and anti-Semitism and said that "Israelis and Palestinians alike deserve to live in security, dignity and peace."
Biden reaffirmed his promise to bring home US citizens who were held hostage.
- On October 15, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan informed that the new military aid package for Israel and Ukraine will cost much more than $2 billion, and NBC News, citing sources in the US Congress, wrote that Joe Biden would ask the US Congress for $60 billion for of Ukraine and $40 billion for Israel, Taiwan and the US-Mexico border.
- The Speaker of the House of Representatives of the US Congress Kevin McCarthy was removed from office early on October 3, 2023 — for the first time in the history of the States. The petition for the resignation of Speaker Kevin McCarthy was brought by his party colleague Matt Gates. Among the reasons given by some of his party members for demanding the dismissal of Speaker McCarthy are cooperation with Democrats to pass a short-term resolution to fund the US government and the refusal to block aid to Ukraine.
- While the Speaker of the House of Representatives is gone (which has been for two weeks), the House cannot do its business, including approving new aid to Israel or Ukraine.