Biden is preparing an address to the nation on aid to Israel and Ukraine

US President Joe Biden plans to make a direct appeal to the American people to continue funding Ukraine and Israel in the context of their military operations. Writes about this CNN.

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The speech comes ahead of the White House asking Congress for more than $100 billion in aid and resources for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and the US-Mexico border region. Biden is expected to make the case that supporting Ukraine and Israel is a matter of U.S. national security at a time when the world is at an inflection point.

The address will take place on October 19 at 20:00 (New York time). It can be viewed live on the White House YouTube channel at link.

Biden is out to make the case that the cost of inaction is much higher, one official said.

On the subject: American Lend-Lease for Ukraine ended without beginning: what will happen next

In August, the Biden administration submitted its latest so-called supplemental funding request, which includes unique requests outside of traditional government programs. The request proposed $24,1 billion in aid to Ukraine through the end of the year, but Congress failed to approve it during the approval process for short-term federal funding.

Public opinion on US aid is mixed.

In a recent CNN poll, nearly all respondents sympathized with the Israeli people over the surprise Hamas attacks, but disagreed on the level of U.S. involvement needed. A third of respondents (35%) said the United States is providing the right amount of assistance, while another 36% are not sure the level of American assistance is appropriate. The United States has long provided security assistance to Israel, which receives about $4 billion a year under a 10-year memorandum of understanding. The new request provides for the allocation of several billion more.

At the same time, support for aid to Ukraine has decreased significantly. According to an August CNN poll, 55% of respondents said Congress should not provide additional funds to help Ukraine. The partisan divide is also widening: Almost three-quarters of Republicans opposed increasing funding for Ukraine, while 62% of Democrats supported the idea.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the White House and Congress have allocated more than $75 billion to Kyiv, according to the Kiel Institute of World Economics.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen promised European leaders that the United States could secure support for additional assistance. She said: Washington can afford to finance two military operations at once.

“America can certainly afford to side with Israel and support its military needs. In addition, we can and must support Ukraine in its fight against Russia,” she said.

Biden's upcoming speech comes after his military visit to the Middle East, which continued even after the Gaza hospital bombing. Although a planned stop in Amman, Jordan, to meet with Arab leaders was canceled just as the president prepared to leave the White House, Biden spent several hours in Tel Aviv.

Officials tried to downplay the cancellation, saying it was only natural for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to return to the West Bank to mourn the dead. Biden later ridiculed suggestions that he was disappointed by the meeting's cancellation.

“Disappointed? Look, I came here to do something. And I achieved this,” he assured. “Few thought we could achieve this, and few want to be associated with failure.”

For Biden, the trip during the early days of a potentially protracted conflict was the latest test of his confidence in being in the same room to influence people and events.

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The United States, Egypt and Israel have made it clear that they are ready to begin delivering aid to the Gaza Strip after Biden's high-profile visit.

In a meeting that went on far longer than officials expected, Biden tried to use his decades-long relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (though it has been strained over the past year) to offer advice and secure commitments on delivering humanitarian aid. aid to Gaza.

Biden asked the Israeli leader "tough questions" about Israel's future actions and intentions as it seeks to destroy Hamas in Gaza, officials said. Speaking later, Biden gave some insight into how those conversations went, at least his version.

“I caution that while you feel this rage, do not let it consume you,” Biden told his audience of Israelis and Americans.

“I know that for the leadership of this country, the choice is never clear or easy,” Biden continued, recalling the mistakes made by the United States after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. — There is always a price, but it requires balance, it requires asking very difficult questions. This requires clarity about your goals and an honest assessment of whether the path you are on will help you achieve those goals.”

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