Biden requests $106 billion in military aid to Ukraine and Israel

Joe Biden's funding request is much larger than even some Democrats expected. Photo: JONATHAN ERNST/REUTERS

Joe Biden has asked for almost $106 billion. (87 billion pounds) from Congress, mainly for military aid to Ukraine and Israel, in response to the challenge of isolationist Republicans.

Emergency funding includes $14.3 billion for Israel, most of which will go to support The country's Iron Dome and other arms purchases.

The bulk of the package, $61.4 billion, is intended to provide more weapons and economic aid to Ukraine.

Mr. Biden also wants more than $9 billion for humanitarian aid, including in the Gaza Strip, where the UN says more than two million people face dire humanitarian conditions.

The president's funding request is much larger more than even some Democrats expected and poses a challenge to Republicans, many of whom support military funding but face pressure from fiscal hawks.

The proposal's fate is unclear in Congress, where Republican infighting leaves the House representatives were left without a speaker and could not pass the law for more than two weeks.

Biden's arguments for financial investment in Ukraine and Israel have been met with growing skepticism from both parties. in Congress.

Left-wing issues demand funding for Tel Aviv

Conservative hardliners have criticized America's financial support for Ukraine, while leftists have questioned the need for military support for Israel.

Pooling funding into one blockbuster, Biden hopes to have a better chance of succeeding in tackling the crisis. opposition on both sides.

The proposal is a radical departure from the piecemeal approach Congress has taken to arming Ukraine so far, although U.S. aid has already reached $113 billion.

The scheme would provide Kiev with a full year of aid before the 2024 U.S. election campaign will go into full swing.

Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, said the money was needed to resupply troops on Ukraine's front lines. on the eve of winter.

He linked support for Ukraine to Israel, arguing that both are in America's national interest.

“The fight for democracy against terrorism”

“These conflicts may seem very far away. But the outcome of this fight for democracy against terrorism and tyranny is vital to the safety and security of the American people,” he said.

The war in Ukraine has become a fault line in the presidential campaign with Donald Trump. , a GOP leader who opposes bailouts at a time when many Americans face financial hardship.

That argument has weight among grassroots Republicans, although support for arming Ukraine remains strong among GOP senators and some party members. other presidential candidates.

Meanwhile, Mr. Biden, who has long made his foreign policy experience a cornerstone of his presidency, is trying to use two major conflicts as an argument for American leadership on the world stage.

He made the case for his request by directly addressing the American public in a rare Oval Office address Thursday night.

Biden, 80, made a compelling case for continued global engagement America, arguing that investments in distant wars «are paying dividends for American security for generations.»

«American leadership is what unites the world,» he said.

The funding proposal also includes $13.6 billion to support the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as increased military aid to support Taiwan and other regional partners in the fight against Chinese aggression.

White House officials said the funding for Israel will focus on strengthening its missile and air defense capabilities, in particular the Iron Dome system.

Some of the funds will also go to strengthen the security of the US Embassy in Israel.