White House gives cautious nod to Ukraine, Israel bills

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AFP): The White House said Tuesday that separate aid bills set for a vote in the US House this week appear to meet the long-delayed military needs of Ukraine and Israel.

But US President Joe Biden needs to study the proposals by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson more closely before making a final decision, it added.

Johnson said Monday that his Republican-controlled chamber would vote this week on the bills after after stalling for months over pressure from his party’s right-wing. Whether Johnson can get his deeply divided party to support him, however, remains to be seen.

The US Senate passed a combined $95 billion package in February that included Democrat Biden’s request for massive new funds to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion, as well as new support for Israel and Taiwan. However, Johnson refused to allow a vote on it in the House.

Previously the White House has fought for the aid to be bundled together in the same package like the one the Senate approved, but it appeared to soften its position on Tuesday.

“It does appear at first blush that the speaker’s proposal will in fact help us get aid to Ukraine, aid to Israel,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters traveling with Biden on a reelection campaign trip to Scranton, Pennsylvania.

“But we’re waiting to get a little bit more detail before we say one way or the other.”

Biden, who spoke to Johnson on Monday about the plans, had stressed that “we need to see the House move this week” due to the urgent military needs of Ukraine and Israel, Kirby added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pleaded for assistance as Russia takes the offensive against defending Ukrainian forces, who are increasingly running out of ammunition.

Israel is meanwhile locked in a six-month-old war against Hamas in Gaza following the October 7 attacks — as well as fending off a wave of Iranian drone and missile attacks at the weekend.