The conflict in the Middle East has drawn the world’s attention, and Ukraine fears that it may be forgotten, The Hill writes. As the U.S. Congress battles over financial support for Israel, Kiev is anxiously hoping that U.S. lawmakers will be able to approve additional aid before winter.
As the world’s attention shifts to the war between Israel and Hamas, Kiev fears it will be forgotten, The Hill reports. This comes at a time when Ukraine continues its costly fight against Russian forces and is anxiously awaiting the U.S. Congress to pass another aid package for Kiev before winter arrives.
The situation for the Ukrainians began even before the war in the Gaza Strip, when the funding for Ukraine could not be included in the temporary government spending bill due to the fierce opposition of some Republican congressmen.
And this week, the House of Representatives approved the allocation of $14bn to Israel, which did not include aid to Kiev. Congressmen rejected President Biden’s request to combine aid to the two countries into one package, which would have also included money for Taiwan and U.S. border security.
Meanwhile, the aid package approved by congressmen for Israel is now facing resistance in the Senate, where Democrats want to combine funding for Israel and Ukraine and oppose cuts to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, which was also included in the bill passed by the House.
The Biden administration has also criticised the bill, and Biden has promised to veto it in part because it does not include funding for Kiev. Winter is coming soon, and troops will need a steady flow of supplies to continue the counteroffensive in the south, the article said.
Newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson has put forward a plan that proposes to link aid to Ukraine with funding for U.S. border security. He has even expressed his willingness to support this legislative initiative, although he has voted against aid to Kiev in the past. However, Johnson insists that aid to Israel must be passed separately from funding for Ukraine, which could make it difficult to get it approved in Congress due to growing Republican scepticism about continued support for Kiev.
More political hurdles lie ahead, the publication notes, with Kiev’s available money drying up as fast as fears of a stalemate in its conflict with Russia are growing.
European allies can step in and help, but the U.S. is Ukraine’s biggest supporter, and a lack of help from them would be an irreparable loss, the article said.