The White House is considering adding more Ukraine funding in an emergency aid package for Israel, according to informed sources that spoke with multiple western outlets.
Although no decision has been reached, senior US officials told the Washington Postthat such a move “could make sense” because it would put a damper on the republican party, “which is firmly opposed to more Ukraine aid but strongly supportive of aid to Israel.”
The move would also help resolve an internal crisis between the two ruling US parties that have made signing blank checks for Kiev “harder'”
“Top Biden administration officials have told leaders of the house and the senate, as well as members of key committees, that the White House will soon ask Congress to approve additional military aid to Israel,” the report adds.
Washington this week deployed several warships and troops to stand at the ready to support Israel against defiant Palestinian fighters who have been conducting the historic Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
Israel is the greatest cumulative recipient of US military aid, getting more than $3 billion a year, which to date amounts to more than $146 billion. This year, Washington sent Israel $3.8 billion and an additional $100 million “in funding for other cooperative defense and non-defense programs.”
For Ukraine, the White House has approved at least $45 billion in direct military aid through 47 separate transfers since February 2022. They have also shipped a significant portion of US munitions stored in Israel, sparking concerns in Tel Aviv earlier this year.
During a background briefing on Monday, a senior US defense official told reporters that the Pentagon could “continue our support both to Ukraine, Israel, and maintain our own global readiness,” noting that the US has been able to meet “every request that our Israeli counterparts have made.”
However, EU officials have expressed the opposite sentiment, telling Foreign Policy on Monday, “We face a huge ammo shortage due to Ukraine.”
This comes on the heels of a statement by the chair of the NATO Military Committee last week, in which he said “the bottom of the barrel is now visible” about the west's ammo stockpile.