Politics
Saturday’s attacks on Israel created new questions about replenishing aid to war-torn Ukraine after months of tumultuous Republican infighting.
Iran’s unprecedented flurry of strikes on Israel sparked new urgency in Congress for additional military aid to the Jewish state as various Republican factions are seizing on the development to further their arguments on Ukraine.
Ukraine aid being taken up this week now appears to be a long shot.
“We’re stretched way too thin, [with] the number of weapon systems that we need, Ukraine needs, that Taiwan needs, that Israel needs. And we can’t do all of these things at once,” Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.
“When you’re stretched too thin, you’ve got to focus and you’ve got to rebuild your own country,” he went on. “Can we possibly fight all of those conflicts at once? No.”
Vance contended that the US should be encouraging Ukraine “to take a defensive posture” against the Russian invasion of their lands and place more focus on Israel instead.
In sharp contrast, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky seized on Iran’s brutal attack, calling it a “wake-up call” for the West.
“It is critical that the United States Congress make the necessary decisions to strengthen America’s allies at this critical time,” Zelensky pleaded.
A chorus of foreign policy luminaries within the GOP echoed that sentiment.
“These rockets and these drones are being bought by Russia, and they’re killing Ukrainians every day. What happened in Israel last night, happens in Ukraine every night,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Mike McCaul (R-Texas) lamented to CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.
“The power grid is under threat right now. If the power grid goes out in Ukraine altogether, we don’t have time on our side here.”
McCaul noted that while “this is a speaker determination” as to when the House takes up a foreign aid bill for Ukraine, his “preference is this week.”
“Iran, Russia and China have engaged in an unholy alliance to undermine and destabilize the US, Israel and the free world,” Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) said after Iran’s attack.
“We must act decisively — Congress must pass aid to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan.”
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-Ohio) stressed that the clock is ticking for Ukraine amid multiple setbacks on the battlefield to fend off the Russian invaders.
“Everyone has been very much on this side of understanding that we’re at a critical point. Russia is beginning to gain ground, Ukraine is beginning to lose the ability to defend itself,” Turner told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“The United States must step up and provide Ukraine the weapons that they need, and I think we’re gonna see overwhelming support for that in the House this week.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was coy about the exact timeline he is pursuing regarding consideration of an aid package to Ukraine, but said Sunday that “we will send our package.”
The speaker specifically teased that he is contemplating bundling some of that assistance as a loan and tapping into seized Russian assets to fund the weaponry.
Back in February, the Senate passed a $95 billion supplemental package featuring some $14 billion for Israel and $60 billion for Ukraine. Johnson has declined to take that up for consideration.
Democrats have clamored for him to do so.
“We didn’t need any reminders in terms of what’s going on in Ukraine,” White House national security spokesperson Kirby told NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday. “But last night certainly underscores significantly the threat that Israel faces in a very, very tough neighborhood.”
“We’re just looking for leadership out of the speaker’s office: get it on the floor, get it voted on so that not only Israel can get additional resources and defend itself — which they clearly need — but that Ukraine can as well,” he said, referring to the supplemental.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.), who has emerged as one of the most prominent defenders of Israel within the Democratic Party, echoed that.
“We’re all in that same fight and we all need to stand with all these democracies. Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan as well, too,” Fetterman said on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday.
“It’s a disgrace if we don’t deliver this aid.”
President Joe Biden had requested Congress re-up aid to Ukraine back in August of last year, but the House of Representatives dragged its feet, mired by internal GOP bickering.
Republicans had sought to push the Biden administration into making concessions on the border in exchange for aid to Ukraine. However, the GOP later killed a $118 billion supplemental featuring both foreign aid and bolstered bordered security provisions.
Some still want the border addressed in exchange for Ukraine aid.
“I am prepared to help Ukraine. I want to see us deal with the southern border too,” Rubio said on “State of the Union.” “I hope those two things can happen in conjunction.”
Looming over all of this is the specter of Johnson suffering a mutiny just like his predecessor Kevin McCarthy did last September.
Firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has led the charge in threatening a motion to vacate the chair or oust him. She met with Johnson last week and refused to rule out the possibility of pulling the trigger on that motion afterward.
“How much money do the U.S. taxpayers have to pay now after this weekends [sic] Iranian activities? How much money will Zelenskyy get because obviously Ukraine first?” Greene grumbled on X.
Some Democrats have indicated they may toss him a lifeline this time if his ouster is predicated on Ukraine aid, though it’s not entirely clear how many.
Former President Donald Trump also broadly lent Johnson some words of support during their meeting in Mar-a-Lago last Friday, though not on Ukraine specifically.
Abhinav Thawait is a globe-trotting correspondent with a passion for international affairs. With a background in international relations, he offers a global perspective on the most pressing issues around the world. Abhinav’s curiosity takes his to the far corners of the earth, where he seeks to share untold stories and diverse viewpoints.
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