NBC News reported that the U.S. administration is considering plans to combine the provision of military assistance to both Israel and Ukraine into a single bill.
The package for Ukraine will include financial, humanitarian, and military support. By doing so, U.S. authorities aim to make a maneuver that would allow the bill to be passed bypassing the minority of the Republican party that consistently votes against aid to Ukraine. According to analysts, combining the two countries for aid expenditures will facilitate the passage of the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. Currently, the House of Representatives is controlled by Republicans. Some congressmen oppose aid to Ukraine, which hinders the allocation of financial and military assistance to Ukraine. At the same time, Republicans always support Israel in its right to defend itself and exist. Israel is the United States’ primary ally in the Middle East. If Republicans want to help this country, they will have to compromise with the White House.
Recently, it became known that on October 9, U.S. senators from both parties began considering the allocation of financial and other assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $60 to $100 billion. This is significantly more than what U.S. President Joe Biden requested. The final amount is still unknown, but The Wall Street Journal reports that Democrats and Republicans are close to an agreement. The publication notes that, in order to avoid conflicts over the allocation of funds for Ukraine, senators see more sense in one large package than in several divided ones. White House National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby announced that there is bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress for continuing assistance to Ukraine. The removal of Kevin McCarthy from the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives will not affect the support for Ukraine in the war against Russia.
Recent polls in the United States provide additional evidence that American public support for Ukraine remains strong and bipartisan, and perhaps even more future-oriented than the opinions of many in Congress or the White House. A survey conducted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs (CCGA) from September 7 to 18 showed that 63% of respondents support «providing additional arms and military materials to the Ukrainian government.» This survey, conducted from August 10 to 17 by Change Research and Razom for Ukraine, showed that 63% of respondents supported «continuing military aid to Ukraine in the federal budget for the next year.» Surveys by CCGA and Change Research, and Razom for Ukraine indicate that the percentage of Americans who believe that aid to Ukraine is «worth the money spent» remains stable.
In its aggression against Ukraine, Russia tries to take advantage of any international events, but nothing will affect Ukraine’s support from the European Union. This was stated by the official representative of the European Commission, Eric Mamer, on Monday, October 9, responding to a question from a DW correspondent about whether there are grounds to believe that the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East will affect aid to Ukraine. According to analysts, Russia immediately exploited the terrorist attack by Hamas militants on Israeli territory. It seeks to promote several information operations aimed at reducing support and international attention to Ukraine, including launching a campaign to discredit Ukraine in the Middle East by accusing Kyiv of selling Western weapons provided by allies to Hamas. This information has no confirmation and is entirely false. Occupiers understand that they cannot win on the battlefield, so they resort to their traditional means — lies and manipulation.