U.S. President Joe Biden has called for "leadership and courage" in Washington in order to pass urgent military aid for Ukraine and Israel, adding "now is not the time to abandon our friends," in an op-ed published April 17.
"Both Ukraine and Israel are under attack by brazen adversaries that seek their annihilation," Biden wrote in the Wall Street Journal, adding: "Mr (Vladimir) Putin wants to subjugate the people of Ukraine and absorb their nation into a new Russian empire.
"The government of Iran wants to destroy Israel forever – wiping the world's only Jewish state off the map."
Assistance for Kyiv has been blocked by political wrangling for months, leading to a rapidly deteriorating situation on the battlefield.
While the Senate passed a $95 billion foreign aid bill for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan in February, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he instead plans to hold a vote on four separate bills in his chamber this week.
The bill faces resistance from hardline Republicans, who oppose assistance for Ukraine altogether, and there are fears that the party's right flank would seek to oust Johnson if he moves forward with the bill.
"It's a strong and sensible plan," Biden wrote. "It shouldn't be held hostage any longer by a small group of extreme Republican House members.
"Mr. Putin has tried relentlessly to break the will of the Ukrainian people. He has failed. Now he's trying to break the will of the West.
"We cannot let him succeed. There are moments in history that call for leadership and courage.
"This is one of them."
Shortly after the op-ed was published, Johnson announced he was moving forward with his plan to hold a vote on a series of foreign aid bills for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan despite pressure from Republican hardliners, CNN reported on April 17.
Johnson told U.S. lawmakers that the vote will be held in the evening of April 20.
Martin Fornusek
