New package for Israel and Ukraine will exceed its $2 bln worth – US security adviser
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the new arms package for Israel and Ukraine would be much larger than $2 billion, Reuters reports.
This week, US President Joe Biden will hold decisive talks with the US Congress on the need to approve this package.
As the Republicans are trying to elect a speaker of the US House of Representatives after the party's hardliners ousted Kevin McCarthy almost two weeks ago, the final adoption is being delayed.
Biden is considering a budget request that combines aid to Israel, Ukraine, and possibly Taiwan to increase his chances of being approved amid calls from some Republicans to cut funds for Kyiv.
When asked if there would be a request for $2 billion, Sullivan said:
Well, the number is going to be significantly higher than that, but it will, as I said, certainly include the necessary military equipment to defend freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity in Ukraine, and to help Israel defend itself as it fights its terrorist threat.
Previously, the US announced a $200 million military aid package for Ukraine.
Sullivan then said that the state would be able to provide defense assistance to Ukraine and Israel in a Hamas attack simultaneously.
Republican wing removed $300 million in aid to Ukraine from the bill: the Senate will consider these funds separately.
They took this step despite the fact that the leader of their faction Kevin McCarthy promised last week not to remove funds for Ukraine from the draft defense budget.
The US Senate agreed on an alternative draft short-term budget resolution, providing over $6.1 billion in additional assistance to Ukraine, including $4.5 billion for defense spending more than $1.6 billion for economic support.
