US COULD COMBINE UKRAINE AND ISRAEL FUNDING IN EFFORT TO SECURE SUPPORT IN CONGRESS

Tue 10 October 2023:

The outbreak of war in the Middle East has raised questions over how it might affect the West’s continued support for Ukraine, particularly that provided by the US.

Republicans in Congress have increasingly sought to prevent funding being diverted to help Kyiv resist Russia’s invading forces.

With Israel – which has historically counted on the US as its most important ally – now embroiled in a major conflict following a shock assault by Hamas over the weekend, there are concerns that these demands could add to calls for the financial backing for Ukraine to be reduced.

But a new report today suggests the Biden administration and key lawmakers in Congress are actively discussing whether aid to Israel could be linked to more funding for Ukraine as a strategy to pass both spending priorities.

An administration official and two pro-Ukraine Republican lawmakers told NBC that lawmakers in both parties who support additional aid for Ukraine have suggested the approach as a potential way to secure funding for Kyiv despite opposition from some Republican members in the House and the Senate.

White House requests for new funding for Ukraine have been consistently opposed by a group of House conservatives, with the issue set to be a major factor in Republican conference leadership elections this week.

However, more aid for Israel in the wake of Hamas’s attack on Israel is seen as less likely to face such a struggle in Congress.

The National Security Council’s coordinator for strategic communications, Admiral John Kirby, said yesterday: “Both are important, and we are a large enough, big enough, economically viable and vibrant enough country to be able to support both.”

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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