(Ken Silva, Headline USA) When Hamas launched its surprised attack against Israel on Saturday, it wasn’t long before online pundits were predicting that potential war in the Middle East spells the end of U.S. support for Ukraine’s war against Russia.
And sure enough, White House spokesperson John Kirby said Wednesday that the end for Ukraine aid is near.
“We’re coming here to the end of the rope. Today we announced $200 million, and we’ll keep that aid going as long as we can,” he said. “But it’s not going to be indefinite.”
🇺🇸🇺🇦 White House spokesperson John Kirby announces that the U.S. is “coming to the end of the rope” with regard to Ukraine funding.
THIS IS HUGE! pic.twitter.com/goSYkrRalm
— Jackson Hinkle 🇺🇸 (@jacksonhinklle) October 11, 2023
However, at least for now the Biden administration reportedly looks to support both Ukraine and Israel—as well as Taiwain. The Washington Post first reported on Monday that the White House planned to link aid for the three countries in an effort to “jam the far right”—forcing MAGA Republicans to choose between fiscal responsibility and supporting ostensible allies.
Kirby told reporters “active conversations” are going on to aid all three countries.
“I’m not prepared to detail those conversations for you right now or, or tell you what the parameters are going to be, because, frankly, those parameters haven’t been yet arrived at or even decided upon, but we are in active discussions about additional funding,” he reportedly said.
Some Republicans have expressed opposition to the plan. But they’re more opposed to its form than its substance.
“I support both, but I think it’d be a mistake to bundle the two,” said Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., according to POLITICO. “But it sounds like the administration wants to put the two together. I think that’d be a mistake.”
Antiwar.com editor Dave DeCamp said the size of the supplemental package President Biden will request is unclear.
“He previously asked for an additional $24 billion to fund the Ukraine war, but it was never approved by Congress,” DeCamp wrote Thursday. “The administration has been discussing the idea of a full-year spending package for Ukraine that could be as large as $100 billion, an idea popular among hawks in the Senate.”
The House needs to appoint a speaker before it can consider Biden’s aid package.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
