SpaceWar.com - Your World At War
White House gives cautious nod to Ukraine, Israel bills
Aboard Air Force One, April 16 (AFP) Apr 16, 2024
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.


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Fighter pilot takes next giant step for India's space plans
Maritime Launch and T-Minus Engineering Announce Plans for Hypersonic Suborbital Launches from Spaceport Nova Scotia
ESA supports Moon mission carrying first European rover

24/7 Energy News Coverage
US seeks deals for Alaska energy as Asia representatives visit
Czechs sign nuclear deal with S.Korea firm KHNP: PM
US-China at trade impasse as Trump's steel tariff hike strains ties

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
'Aces up the sleeve': Ukraine drone attacks in Russia shake up conflict
Trump says Iran 'slowwalking' as Khamenei opposes nuclear proposal
US pressures NATO to seal deal on ramping up defence spending

24/7 News Coverage
China lead mine plan weighs heavily on Myanmar tribe
Pledge to protect oceans falling billions short; as EU eyes 'leadership' role
Aid finally trickles in for Nigeria flood victims



All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.