US opportunities decrease every week – Biden's adviser on helping Ukraine

The US's abilities to give Ukraine "everything it needs" are shrinking every week without the approval of a new large aid package for Ukraine in Congress.

Source: Ukrinform, citing Jake Sullivan, US Presidential National Security Advisor, at a briefing in Washington. 

Quote from Sullivan: "It is already having an effect on our ability to give Ukraine everything that it needs, and that effect will only compound over time."

Details: Sullivan stressed that the US Congress should approve the president's request, which includes aid to Ukraine and Israel, as soon as possible, as it directly affects US national interests.

He said that the Biden administration sent a request for the allocation of funds for Israel, Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific region, as well as strengthening the border: "We detailed exactly what we needed, including for Ukraine, and we still need that, and we need it as soon as we can get it."

Sullivan emphasised that the US government is working actively with both the House and the Senate, both Republicans and Democrats, to secure the votes to ensure that funding. 

He noted that a strong majority is maintained in both chambers to approve the request of the US president. Sullivan said that "the United States national interest will be deeply harmed if we are not able to secure and sustain funding for Israel, Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific and the border."

Sullivan also warned Congress against bringing the situation to a government shutdown that threatens the country after 17 October. He noted that such a development could be a "devastating blow" primarily to the American military, which protects the national security interests of the United States.

Apart from that, he said, a potential shutdown would send a signal to the international community that "the United States cannot pull together on a bipartisan basis." This is especially important at a moment when the world is experiencing turbulence, including due to Russia's war against Ukraine and Israel's fight against Hamas terrorists.

Background: 

• US President Joe Biden is trying to convince the US Congress to support aid to both Ukraine and Israel and to approve a new US$106 billion aid package, which includes more than US$61 billion in funding for aid to Ukraine. 
• But Mike Johnson, the new speaker of the US House of Representatives, insists that the aid packages for Ukraine and Israel be considered by Congress separately, and the "Ukrainian" package be considered together with appropriations for border security with Mexico.
• The White House and the Senate criticised and rejected a draft bill from the speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, on the temporary extension of funding with different terms for different government agencies.

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