Zelensky to visit Israel as a show of support, Pentagon sending $200M in ammo to Ukraine

Genya Savilov, Pool Photo via AP

Ukraine President may have been feeling a little uncertain as the war in Israel began last weekend. He must have known that the United States would not hesitate to stand by Israel. He likely wondered where that leaves the need for help with his country’s war against Putin.

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Never fear. The Pentagon announced Wednesday that the United States latest aid to Ukraine is $200M in ammunitions. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was in Brussels to address the 16th Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting. The military aid package for Ukraine includes additional hardware it can use in its war against Putin. The package includes AIM-9M munitions for a new air-defense system. It includes new artillery and rocket ammunition, precision aerial munitions, anti-tank weapons, and equipment to counter Russian drones.

“We must continue to rush Ukraine what it needs to meet its current challenges, even as we continue to develop Ukraine’s combat capabilities to ward off future dangers,” Austin said. “So we’re here to dig deep to meet Ukraine’s most urgent needs — especially for air defense and ammunition.”

This brings the total U.S. commitment to Ukraine’s defense to about $43.9B. Ukraine’s funding was cut by Congress in the bill meant to avoid a government shutdown last month. Republicans are growing tired of continuous shipments and payments being earmarked for Ukraine when there is such a lack of accountability of where the funds are going.

Putin continues his war of aggression against Ukraine. Last week, the Russian military targeted a supermarket in Hroza, killing at least 51 civilians. Zelensky called it a terrorist attack.

“We saw that again last week with the horrifying Russian missile strike in the Kharkiv region that killed dozens of Ukrainian civilians,” Austin said. “We should be ready for the Kremlin to again bombard Ukraine this winter with cruise missiles and drones.

“We should expect Putin’s forces to cruelly and deliberately put Ukraine’s cities, civilians, and critical infrastructure in their gunsights. By turning civilians into targets, Putin hopes to break the spirit of the Ukrainian people and plunge them into bitter cold and darkness.”

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Joe Biden said, “As long as it takes.” The Biden administration shows no signs of restraint when it comes to the continued support of Ukraine, courtesy of U.S. taxpayers. Russia is expected to heavily bombard Ukraine during winter fighting. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Russia is preparing “to use winter as a weapon for war.” Western officials have been working with Ukraine in making preparations to reinforce the national energy grid and gather the equipment needed before winter sets in. This is in hopes of avoiding the rolling blackouts Ukraine experienced last winter throughout the country. The blackouts left hospitals, schools, and homes without electricity or forced to rely on power generators.

The United States permanent representative to NATO said there is no risk that the war in Israel will distract from the war in Ukraine.

Ambassador Julianne Smith, the U.S. permanent representative to NATO, said in a briefing that the risk that the crisis in Israel will distract the United States, or the alliance, was negligible. “I suspect the United States will be able to stay focused on our partnership and commitment to Israel’s security, while also meeting our commitments and promise to continue supporting Ukraine as it defends its territory,” she said.

A little good news is that Russia was not allowed to rejoin the U.N. Human Rights Council.

The council consists of 47 member states elected via secret ballot, with a prescribed number of seats for geographic regions. Russia lost out to Bulgaria and Albania in Eastern Europe, but did receive 83 votes in its favor from the General Assembly member nations. Russia was suspended from the council last April after evidence of atrocities emerged in Bucha, Ukraine.

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As useless as I think the U.N. Human Rights Council is, at least what should have been an obvious decision was correctly resolved.

Zelensky is asking to visit Israel in a show of support. This would boost international support for Israel’s war against Hamas. Ukrainian and Israeli officials confirmed that Zelensky’s office sent an official request to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office asking to coordinate a visit.

Zelensky told reporters on Wednesday that in the early days of Russia’s invasion, it was critical for Ukraine not to feel alone and that international support helped a lot.

“This is why I urge all leaders to visit Israel and show their support for the people. I’m not talking about any institutions, but about support for the people who suffered from terrorist attacks and are dying today,” Zelensky said after a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels.

Zelensky was one of the first leaders to call Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and express support for Israel.

“In the face of such a terrorist strike, everyone who values life must stand in solidarity … Israel has the full right to defend itself against terror,” Zelensky said in a statement shortly after the attack.

Russia has remained silent since Hamas began its war with Israel last weekend. Putin blamed the violence on a failure of American policy in the Middle East. This is not surprising. Russia has maintained a relationship with Hamas for years, often hosting official Hamas delegations in Moscow.

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The United States is capable of supporting both Ukraine and Israel as the two countries fight evil attacks from nefarious actors. These are moments of moral clarity. It is no time to go wobbly, as Margaret Thatcher once said. Hamas must be destroyed and Putin must end his dream of annexing Ukraine.

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