While the US is currently going through an economic crisis, Joe Biden wants additional US$37 billion in aid to Ukraine for his war efforts against Russia. Biden’s proposed new round of aid to Ukraine reportedly includes US$21.7 billion for military, intelligence and other defense support; US$14.5 billion to help keep the Ukrainian government functioning, including paying government officials’ salaries; US$900 million for health care and support services for Ukrainians living in the US; and US$626 million for nuclear security support to Ukraine and for modernizing the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
One of the key elements that no one is yet talking about is – ever-since Joe Biden began sending billions of dollars to Ukraine, his scandalous son Hunter Biden has hidden himself beneath curtains, while there is strong anticipation that the corrupt Biden family is getting significant amount of “kick-back” or commission from the military industrial complex. There is a strong possibility that this issue shall not be investigated as the majority of the US lawmakers – both in the Congress and Senate are benefiting from the military industrial complex. That is the reason behind most of the lawmakers showing extra-zeal in increasing the defense spending as well as sending cash to foreign countries. It has happened during America’s war in Afghanistan, Iraq etcetera and now in Ukraine.
It may be mentioned here that some Republican members of Congress, which has already approved US$54 billion for Ukraine, though are balking at the new price tag, it is assumed that finally this additional amount of US$37 billion will also get approval, once the amount of “kick back” is settled. Until then, Republicans will continue showing hesitance.
Commenting on the additional US$37 billion that Joe Biden is asking for, Texas Republican Representative Chip Roy tweeted: “As the administration warms up another $37 billion request for Ukraine, perhaps we should have a full debate about our interest, how money has been / is being spent . . . etc.
Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, who on November 8, 2022 won the Republican nomination for House speaker, has suggested funding requests for Ukraine would face more scrutiny under the new Republican majority.
“I think people are gonna be sitting in a recession and they’re not going to write a blank check to Ukraine”, McCarthy told Punchbowl News. “They just won’t do it. … It’s not a free blank check”.
Texas Republican Representative Michael McCaul, who will likely chair the House Foreign Affairs Committee in the new Congress, said he will be leading that effort to provide more oversight of how the funding to Ukraine is spent.
“I do think you have broad bipartisan support for what’s happening in Ukraine, but I think you’ll see, if we get the majority, more oversight and accountability in terms of the funding and where the money’s going, and I think the American taxpayers deserve that”, McCaul said.
See here the statements from the Republicans. No one is actually objecting to sending additional US$37 billion. Instead, they all are talking about “scrutiny” meaning, this can get approval only when big-bosses of the military industrial complex can satisfy them.
Meanwhile, Democrats are already signaling giving ditto to Biden’s requisition of additional amounts.
New York Democrat Gregory Meeks, the current House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, said the new emergency request for Ukraine is “urgent to make sure that we get them everything that we can possibly get into the omnibus so that they have the weapons to continue the momentum moving through the winter”.
Meeks said of House Republicans: “I would hope that if they do take over, that their leadership will get them in line so that we can preserve democracy and not allow Russia to win”.
Meanwhile, NATO allies met in Brussels to discuss their reactions after a missile fell on the Polish village of Przewodów, near the Ukrainian border, killing two people. The incident is the first time that the territory of a NATO country has been struck during the near-nine-month Russia-Ukraine war.
Poland’s president, Andrzej Duda, has said there is no evidence to suggest the missile strike on Przewodów was an intentional attack or was launched by Russia. Duda said there were “many indications” that the missile was fired as part of Ukraine’s air defenses and “unfortunately fell on Polish territory”.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that initial analysis suggested the incident was “likely caused by a Ukrainian air defense missile fired to defend Ukrainian territory” against Russian cruise missile attacks.
But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is convinced that the missile was not Ukrainian. Speaking to reporters, Zelensky said he had received reports from the command of Ukraine’s armed forces and air force and “cannot but trust them”.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it had not targeted anywhere within 35km (22 miles) of the Ukraine-Poland border. In a statement reported by Russian state news agency TASS, the ministry said statements about “Russian missiles” falling in Przewodów were “a deliberate provocation with the aim of escalating the situation”. The Russian ministry claimed to have identified the wreckage as a Ukrainian S-300 from photographs.
Let’s look here into the chronology. On one hand, Joe Biden is asking for additional US$37 billion for Ukraine and on the other Ukraine fires missiles on Poland. In fact, policymakers in Kiev did not properly assess the aftermath. They thought responsibility of this incident would-be put-on Moscow, as usual. But this time, their foul attempt has backfired.
It is easily understandable that Kiev has fired the missile targeting Poland when world leaders were meeting in Indonesia to discuss a number of issues, including their support towards Ukraine. Policymakers in Kiev thought a dramatic missile attack on Poland would give extended opportunity to Biden and other leaders in expediting sending cash and military hardware to Ukraine.
Let us not forget, Joe Biden already has sent US$54 billion to Ukraine and now he is asking for additional US$37 billion, while he or any of the key policymakers in Washington are in dark about exactly when this war may end. In my opinion, after spending hundreds of billions of dollars, Joe Biden will abruptly withdraw from Ukraine in the same pattern of his withdrawal from Afghanistan. In fact, Biden or the American policymakers are not sincerely worried about Ukraine. All they want is to increase the amount and further enrich their secret bank accounts, the same way Democrats have gained from the FTX crypto scandal. America’s involvement and now spending of billions of dollars are simply a broad-day scam. Policymakers and politicians in Washington are playing with the cash of American tax-payers.
