Increased US military aid to Israel following the Hamas attack will not affect US support for war-torn Ukraine, US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith said on Tuesday.
“On the question of whether or not US support for Israel could affect US support for Ukraine, we don’t foresee any problems,” Julianne Smith told reporters.
“I believe that the United States will be able to remain focused on our partnership and our commitment to Israel’s security and maintain our commitments and our promise to continue supporting Ukraine,” the ambassador stressed, on the eve of a Council of Defense Ministers of the Atlantic Alliance.
US President Joe Biden ordered US warships to approach Israel’s coasts to support the country, following the Hamas attack on Saturday, which left hundreds of Israelis dead.
Concerns surround the continuation of US aid to Ukraine, after a compromise reached in Congress to avoid a US budget shutdown left out a new promise of aid to kyiv.
The departure of the Republican leader of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, further complicates the situation.
When asked about the impact of Kevin McCarthy’s resignation on aid to kyiv, President Biden admitted last week that he was concerned about the situation.
The president estimates that $24 billion (about €22.6 billion) is needed to continue supporting Ukraine’s war effort.
The main countries that support the Ukrainian war effort, including the United States, meet on Wednesday in Brussels to take stock of weapons deliveries and Kiev’s needs for the continuation of its counteroffensive and the supply of anti-aircraft material before winter .
Last year, Russia attacked Ukrainian infrastructure for several weeks, repeatedly depriving the population of electricity and heat.
“I think the emphasis will be on air defense and ammunition, but I have no doubt that the Ukrainians will make a wide variety of other requests,” the US ambassador added.
The United States alone is responsible for half of the military aid provided to Ukraine, with the rest coming from other NATO member countries.
Source: TSF
