Joe Biden urged Congress on Thursday to approve a security package for Israel and Ukraine worth tens of billions of dollars, saying America needed to overcome its domestic divisions to protect two vital allies and preserve US leadership around the world.
Biden did not specify how much money he was seeking but people familiar with the matter said the request was likely to involve $60bn for Ukraine and $14bn for Israel as well as funding for border security and Indo Pacific security. In all, the package is expected to exceed $100bn.
In a rare primetime televised address from the Oval Office, the US president said Hamas, the terrorist group that attacked Israel this month, and Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, shared similar objectives that must be thwarted.