2023-10-20 07:57:03
Washington The president of the United States, Joe Biden, has been making promises abroad for two weeks. This Thursday it was his turn to address his fellow citizens to justify sending more military assistance to his two major allies at war: Ukraine and Israel. “The decisions we make today will determine the next decades”, he assured, in the schedule of prime time and from the Oval Office, framing the current moment as “a turning point in history.”
In response to the recent protests, in the streets and in the Capitol, calling for a cease-fire in Gaza and the end of military aid to Israel, as well as the doubts presented in recent months – especially among Republicans – about support for Ukraine, Biden seeks to convince that foreign military assistance is vital to domestic interests. For this reason, this Friday he will send to Congress “an urgent request for a budget to finance the needs of American national security”. “To support our critical partners,” he said.
This aid package, which multiple sources estimate to be around $100 billion, will not stop solely at military assistance to Israel and Ukraine, although they will take the lion’s share of the pie: $60 billion for Ukraine and $14 billion million for Israel, which are added to the already approved annual contribution to the Hebrew country of 3.8 billion annually. It is also expected that an important part will go to Taiwan, the great ally in the strategy of Chinese containment, and to double the cash on the southern border with Mexico, one of the hot potatoes of his mandate.
However, he did not mention the main stumbling block to getting this huge spending plan off the ground: the lower house will not be able to pass any budget legislation until it unlocks the legislative gridlock it has been stuck in since the president’s impeachment , Kevin McCarthy, at the hands of his party two weeks ago. Without referring to the congressmen directly, the president has insisted that this will be a “smart investment” that will pay “the dividends of American security for generations to come.”
Biden equates Hamas and Putin: “Both want to annihilate a neighboring democracy”
Throughout his speech, Biden has compared the Israeli and Ukrainian causes on several occasions. “I know these conflicts may seem far-fetched, and it’s natural to wonder why this matters to the US. History has taught us that when terrorists don’t pay a price for their terror, when dictators don’t pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos, death and more destruction.”
Although he has recognized that “Hamas and Putin represent different threats”, the president has assured that they have something in common: “Both want to completely annihilate a neighboring democracy”. And if the US does not curb “Putin’s appetite for power”, it will not stop at the invasion and will go on to conquer other neighboring states, such as Poland or the Baltic countries.
History has taught us that when terrorists don’t pay a price for their terror, when dictators don’t pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos, more death and more destruction.”
Joe Biden President of the United States
“The terrorist group Hamas is pure unadulterated evil”, he assured, insisting on the definition he has given since the beginning of the Islamist group, which he separates from Palestinian civilians, who “should not pay the price” of their massacres As a solution to the recent escalation, he has insisted on the official and historical position of the US: the two-state solution, Israel and Palestine.
US “leadership” in the world
During the last year and a half, since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, foreign policy has entered fully into his presidency. Since then, he has sought to maintain a tricky balance between returning the US to its position of Western leadership (after four years of Trump’s isolationism), proving himself a reliable partner among his warring allies, and holding together a country that is bleeding politically, socially and economically. Tonight’s speech tried to combine these three aspects of his presidency.
“American leadership is what holds the world together. of Ukraine or turning your back on Israel – it’s not worth it,” he asserted magnanimously.
The central role of foreign policy has become noticeable with the president’s two trips to countries at war as a sign of support: on February 20 he went to Ukraine, on the occasion of the first year since the Russian invasion, and only it took 11 days since the Hamas attacks to visit its main ally in the Middle East, Israel, last Wednesday.
Among Americans, polls show clear support for the Ukrainian and Israeli cause. But if they are asked about their views on military assistance, things change: for Ukraine, 46% are in favor of sending more weapons and 29% against; regarding Israel, 52% approve of the current military support (3.8 billion annually), 20% consider it excessive and another 20%, insufficient. It will be necessary to see in the coming weeks whether the significant increase in assistance promised this Thursday, of 100,000 million dollars, is well received by the American public.
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