WASHINGTON: The Biden administration on Thursday asked Congress to provide more than $13 billion in emergency defense aid to Ukraine and an additional $8 billion for humanitarian support through the end of the year, another massive infusion of cash as the Russian invasion wears on and Ukraine pushes a counteroffensive against the Kremlin’s deeply entrenched forces.
The package includes $12 billion to replenish US federal disaster funds at home after a deadly climate season of heat and storms, and funds to bolster the enforcement at the Southern border with Mexico, including money to curb the flow of deadly fentanyl. All told, it’s a $40 billion package.
While the last such supplemental spending request from the White House for Ukraine funding was easily approved in 2022 despite reservations from Republicans, there’s a different dynamic this time.
A political divide on the issue has steadily grown, with the Republican-led House facing enormous pressure to demonstrate support for the party’s leader, Donald Trump, who has been very skeptical of the war. And American support for the effort has been slowly softening.
White House budget director Shalanda Young, in a letter to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, urged swift action to follow through on the US “commitment to the Ukrainian peoples’ defense of their homeland and to democracy around the world” as well as other needs.
The request was crafted with an eye to picking up support from Republicans, as well as Democrats, particularly with increased domestic funding around border issues — a top priority for the GOP. The Republicans have been been highly critical of the Biden administration’s approach to halting the flow of migrants crossing from Mexico.
Still, the price tag of $40 billion may be too much for Republicans who are fighting to slash, not raise, federal outlays. As a supplemental request, the package the White House is sending to Congress falls outside the budget caps both parties agreed to as part of the debt ceiling showdown earlier this year.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement there was strong bipartisan support in the US Senate.
“The latest request from the Biden administration shows America’s continued commitment to helping Americans here at home and our friends abroad,” he said. “We hope to join with our Republican colleagues this fall to avert an unnecessary government shutdown and fund this critical emergency supplemental request.”
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who has championed of support for Ukraine, was more subdued.
“I look forward to carefully reviewing the Administration’s request to make sure it is necessary and appropriate,” McConnell said in a statement, “to keep America safe, secure our borders, support our allies, and help communities rebuild after disasters.”
Sen. Marco Rubio released a statement urging Congress to swiftly pass critical funding for disaster relief programs while separately considering military aid for Ukraine.
President Joe Biden and his senior national security team have repeatedly said the United States will help Ukraine “as long as it takes” to oust Russia from its borders. Privately, administration officials have warned Ukrainian officials that there is a limit to the patience of a narrowly divided Congress — and American public — for the costs of a war with no clear end.
“For people who might be concerned the costs are getting too high, we’d ask them what the costs — not just in treasure but in blood, perhaps even American blood — could be if Putin subjugates Ukraine,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said this week.
Support among the American public for providing Ukraine weaponry and direct economic assistance has softened with time. An AP-NORC poll conducted in January 2023 around the one-year mark of the conflict, found that 48 percent favored the US providing weapons to Ukraine, down from the 60 percent of US adults who were in favor sending Ukraine weapons in May 2022. While Democrats have generally been more supportive than Republicans of offering weaponry, their support dropped slightly from 71 percent to 63 percent in the same period. Republicans’ support dropped more, from 53 percent to 39 percent.
Dozens of Republicans in the House and some GOP senators have expressed reservations, and even voted against, spending more federal dollars for the war effort. Many of those Republicans are aligning with Trump’s objections to the US involvement overseas.
That means any final vote on Ukraine aid will likely need to rely on a hefty coalition led by Democrats from Biden’s party to ensure approval.
The funding includes money to counter Russian and Chinese influence elsewhere by bolstering the World Bank and providing aid to resist Russian-aligned Wagner forces in Africa. Domestically, there’s an additional $60 million to address increased wildfires that have erupted nationwide. And the request includes $4 billion for the Southern border, including $2.2 billion for border management and $766 million to stop the flow of fentanyl and provide prevention and recovery support. There is also $100 million earmarked for the Department of Labor to ramp up investigations of suspected child labor violations.
To ease passage, Congress would likely try to attach the package to a must-pass measure for broader government funding in the US that’s needed by Oct. 1 to prevent any shutdown in federal offices.
Members of Congress have repeatedly pressed Defense Department leaders on how closely the US is tracking its aid to Ukraine to ensure that it is not subject to fraud or ending up in the wrong hands. The Pentagon has said it has a “robust program” to track the aid as it crosses the border into Ukraine and to keep tabs on it once it is there, depending on the sensitivity of each weapons system.
Ukraine is pushing through with its ongoing counteroffensive, in an effort to dislodge the Kremlin’s forces from territory they’ve occupied since a full-scale invasion in February 2022. The counteroffensive has come up against heavily mined terrain and reinforced defensive fortifications.
The US has approved four rounds of aid to Ukraine in response to Russia’s invasion, totaling about $113 billion, with some of that money going toward replenishment of US military equipment that was sent to the frontlines. Congress approved the latest round of aid in December, totaling roughly $45 billion for Ukraine and NATO allies. While the package was designed to last through the end of the fiscal year in September, much depends upon events on the ground.
“We remain confident that we’ll be able to continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes,” said Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder.
There were questions in November about waning Republican support to approve the package, but it ultimately passed. Now, though, House Speaker McCarthy is facing pressure to impeach Biden over unproven claims of financial misconduct and it’s not clear whether a quick show of support for Ukraine could cause political damage in what’s expected to be a bruising 2024 reelection campaign.
Trump contends that American involvement has only drawn Russia closer to other adversarial states like China, and has condemned the tens of billions of dollars that the United States has provided in aid for Ukraine.
Biden asks Congress for $40 billion to support Ukraine, replenish US disaster aid and bolster border
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Biden asks Congress for $40 billion to support Ukraine, replenish US disaster aid and bolster border
- The funding includes money to counter Russian and Chinese influence elsewhere by bolstering the World Bank and providing aid to resist Russian-aligned Wagner forces in Africa
- The US has approved four rounds of aid to Ukraine in response to Russia’s invasion, totaling about $113 billion
Russia and US hold ‘frank’ talks on Ukraine war
- The US secretary of state said Moscow’s top envoy Sergei Lavrov shared new ideas on resolving the conflict
- The Kremlin denied peace talks were stalled and said it was still open to contacts
KYIV: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US top diplomat Marco Rubio held “frank” talks on the Ukraine war during a meeting Thursday, both sides said, as Washington hit out at Moscow’s lack of “flexibility.”
The US secretary of state said Lavrov shared new ideas on resolving the conflict which he promised to present to US President Donald Trump, but played down the prospect of a breakthrough.
The pair met hours after Moscow pummeled Kyiv for a second straight night and as the United Nations said the number of victims from Russian attacks was at its highest level in three years.
Trump, who forced the warring countries to open negotiations for the first time in three years, this week accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of talking “bullshit” on Ukraine.
The US leader’s efforts to secure a ceasefire have failed to extract any concessions from the Kremlin, despite multiple calls with Putin.
Rubio told reporters Lavrov had floated something “new” on the conflict, but did not give details.
“It’s not a new approach. It’s a new idea or a new concept that I’ll take back to the president to discuss,” he said.
He added that it was not something that “automatically leads to peace, but it could potentially open the door to a path.”
The US diplomat said he had also conveyed Trump’s anger that the more than three-year war, triggered by Russia’s 2022 invasion, was still ongoing, criticizing Moscow’s lack of “flexibility.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the United States would deliver more weapons to Kyiv and that he had “specific dates” on when they would arrive, in response to an AFP question.
Zelensky said in an X post that Ukraine was “ready” for different approaches to “scale up protection,” including by “purchasing a large defense package from the United States, jointly with Europe.”
Trump seemed to back up such an agreement. In an interview with American broadcaster NBC late on Thursday, he said NATO was “paying” the United States for weapons to send to Ukraine.
“We’re sending weapons to NATO, and NATO is paying for those weapons, 100 percent... And then NATO is going to be giving those weapons (to Ukraine),” Trump said.
Trump also said he would make a “major statement... on Russia” on Monday.
NATO secretary general Mark Rutte said he had spoken with Trump and was “working closely with allies to get Ukraine the help they need.”
The leaders of Britain and France meanwhile announced they had prepared plans for a peacekeeping force to be deployed to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.
Ukraine said that two people – a 22-year-old policewoman on duty at a metro station and a 68-year-old woman – were killed in the latest assault on the capital.
Police described Maria Dziumaga as a “kind, cheerful, sincere, responsible, and dedicated police officer” who had joined in 2023.
AFP journalists heard loud detonations reverberating over Kyiv throughout the night and saw flashes from air defense systems illuminating the sky.
Resident Karyna Wolf said she could hear the growing buzz of a drone until a large explosion rocked the flats just two floors above in her building.
“I immediately jumped away from the wall, away from the windows and ran into the hallway, and in those seconds there was an explosion. There was a lot of glass shards flying at me,” the 25-year-old said.
As Rubio and Lavrov met in Kuala Lumpur, Zelensky was at a conference in Rome, where he called for more international political and military support.
Zelensky said Putin wanted “our people to suffer, to flee Ukraine and for homes, schools, for life itself to be destroyed,” urging Western leaders to boost defense investments.
The Kremlin denied peace talks were stalled and said it was still open to contacts.
Moscow has for months refused a ceasefire and two rounds of talks with Ukraine have produced no breakthrough.
The Ukrainian air force said Russia launched 415 drones and missiles at the country while Zelensky urged allies to quickly roll out fresh sanctions against Moscow.
The fresh onslaught came just one night after Russia fired a record 741 long-range drones and missiles.
Officials said the nighttime attack on Kyiv also wounded 22 people.
AFP reporters saw firefighters putting out flames in a damaged residential building and people emerging from shelters, carrying sleeping mats and pets after the air alert was lifted.
Russia’s defense ministry said the strike targeted “military-industrial enterprises” in Kyiv as well as air bases.
The UN announced that attacks on Ukrainian cities in June had led to a three-year high in the number of civilians killed or wounded.
It said it had verified at least 232 people killed and 1,343 wounded during the month — the highest combined toll since April 2022.
Trump says US to supply weapons to Ukraine via NATO
- US leader has expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the lack of progress toward ending the war
- Trump had pledged to swiftly end the war but months into his presidency, little progress has been made
WASHINGTON/KYIV/ROME: US President Donald Trump said on Thursday the United States would supply weapons to Ukraine via NATO and that he would make a “major statement” on Russia on Monday.
In recent days, Trump has expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the lack of progress toward ending the war sparked by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“I think I’ll have a major statement to make on Russia on Monday,” Trump told NBC News, declining to elaborate.
Trump also told NBC News about what he called a new deal between the US, NATO allies and Ukraine over weapons shipment from the United States.
“We’re sending weapons to NATO, and NATO is paying for those weapons, 100 percent. So what we’re doing is the weapons that are going out are going to NATO, and then NATO is going to be giving those weapons (to Ukraine), and NATO is paying for those weapons,” Trump said.
“We send weapons to NATO, and NATO is going to reimburse the full cost of those weapons,” he added.
For the first time since returning to office, Trump will send weapons to Kyiv under a presidential power frequently used by his predecessor, two sources familiar with the decision said on Thursday.
Trump’s team will identify arms from US stockpiles to send to Ukraine under the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows the president to draw from weapons stocks to help allies in an emergency, the sources said, with one saying they could be worth around $300 million.
Trump on Tuesday said the US would send more weapons to Ukraine to help the country defend itself against intensifying Russian advances.
The package could include defensive Patriot missiles and offensive medium-range rockets, but a decision on the exact equipment has not been made, the sources said. One of the people said this would happen at a meeting on Thursday.
The Trump administration has so far only sent weapons authorized by former President Joe Biden, who was a staunch supporter of Kyiv. The Pentagon and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump had pledged to swiftly end the war but months into his presidency, little progress has been made. The Republican president has sometimes criticized US spending on Ukraine’s defense, spoken favorably of Russia and publicly clashed with Ukraine’s leader. However, sometimes he has also voiced support for Kyiv and expressed disappointment in the leadership of Russia.
$12 billion pledged for Ukraine
Russia unleashed heavy airstrikes on Ukraine on Thursday before a conference in Rome at which Kyiv won billions of dollars in aid pledges, and US-Russian talks at which Washington voiced frustration with Moscow over the war.
Two people were killed, 26 were wounded, according to figures from the national emergency services, and there was damage in nearly every part of Kyiv from missile and drone attacks on the capital and other parts of Ukraine.
Addressing the Rome conference on Ukraine’s reconstruction after more than three years of war, Zelensky urged allies to “more actively” use Russian assets for rebuilding and called for weapons, joint defense production and investment.
Participants pledged over 10 billion euros ($12 billion) to help rebuild Ukraine, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said. The European Commission, the EU’s executive, announced 2.3 billion euros ($2.7 billion) in support.
At talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov while in Malaysia, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he had reinforced the message that Moscow should show more flexibility.
“We need to see a roadmap moving forward about how this conflict can conclude,” Rubio said, adding that the Trump administration had been engaging with the US Senate on what new sanctions on Russia might look like.
“It was a frank conversation. It was an important one,” Rubio said after the 50-minute talks in Kuala Lumpur. Moscow’s foreign ministry said they had shared “a substantive and frank exchange of views.”
‘Nightly terror’
Zelensky said Thursday’s assault by Russia had involved around 400 drones and 18 missiles, primarily targeting the capital.
Explosions and anti-aircraft fire rattled the city. Windows were blown out, facades ravaged and cars burned to shells. In the city center, an apartment in an eight-story building was engulfed in flames.
“This is terror because it happens every night when people are asleep,” said Karyna Volf, a 25-year-old Kyiv resident who rushed out of her apartment moments before it was showered with shards of glass.
Air defenses stopped all but a few dozen of the drones, authorities said, a day after Russia launched a record 728 drones at Ukraine.
South Korea, Japan and US conduct air drill as defense chiefs meet
- Joint air drill involves a US B-52 strategic bomber and fighter jets of the two US allies over international waters
SEOUL: South Korea, Japan and the United States conducted a joint air drill on Friday involving a US B-52 strategic bomber and fighter jets of the two US allies over international waters, Yonhap news reported, citing the South’s defense ministry.
The three countries’ defense chiefs also held an annual meeting in Seoul on Friday, where they recognized the importance of close trilateral cooperation in addressing security challenges posed by North Korea, in the Indo-pacific and beyond, the defense ministry said in a statement.
“We’re illuminating a future path together, a path where partnerships can evolve through persistent and regular engagement from building capacity to really sharing responsibility,” US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine said in opening remarks before the meeting.
“(North Korea) and China are undergoing an unprecedented military build up with a clear and unambiguous intent to move forward with their own agendas. We need to be mindful of that,” Caine said.
Philippines’ president to discuss tariffs in Trump meeting this month, top diplomat says
- First meeting between Trump and Marcos, whose nations have stepped up military engagements significantly of late
- The Philippines is concerned over a 20 percent tariff rate announced this week by Donald Trump
KUALA LUMPUR: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will meet US President Donald Trump in Washington this month, Manila’s top diplomat said on Friday, with an increased trade tariff on one of Washington’s top defense allies set to be discussed.
Philippine foreign minister Theresa Lazaro, in an interview during a regional summit in Malaysia, confirmed the arrangement of what will be the first meeting between Trump and Marcos, whose nations have stepped up military engagements significantly of late.
“The issue of tariffs will be discussed among others…it’s also very important to us. We have already sent negotiators to discuss this issue,” Lazaro said on Friday.
A White House official earlier said the meeting was set for July 22, while the office of Marcos said he will visit the US from July 20-22. The Philippines is concerned over a 20 percent tariff rate announced this week by Trump, which was increased from 17 percent threatened in April, without explanation. The US goods trade deficit with the Philippines widened to $4.9 billion in 2024, a 21.8 percent increase from 2023.
The Philippines has said it remains committed to continue negotiations and a delegation will travel to Washington next week to pursue a trade deal. Relations between Manila and Washington have soared under Marcos, who has pivoted closer to the US and allowed American soldiers to expand their presence at Philippine facilities. The former US colony is central to Washington’s efforts to counter China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea and toward Taiwan. The United States and the Philippines have a seven-decade old mutual defense treaty and hold dozens of annual exercises, which have included testing of a US Typhon missile system, angering China.
Marcos’ overtures of to the US and defiant stand on China have riled Beijing, which has repeatedly accused Manila and Washington of trying to stoke tensions. Lazaro said negotiations on a code of conduct between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China were dragging out and the Philippines would push for talks to finish when it becomes ASEAN chair next year. She said the code must be legally binding. The South China Sea remains a source of friction between China and the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia, with ties between Beijing and Manila at their worst in years amid frequent confrontations that have sparked concerns they could spiral into conflict.
“It is our view that it should not be taking so long. It is important that we have to deliver,” she said.
“So it is incumbent upon all of us, and actually China, to... endeavor to finish the negotiations, the discussions. And that’s supposed to be in 2026.”
Lazaro also said a planned election in military-ruled Myanmar, an ASEAN member in the grips of a civil war, would only be acceptable if it were inclusive and peaceful.
The newest way to influence Trump: Nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize
- On Wednesday, Israel's PM Netanyahu showed Trump a letter nominating the US president for the Nobel Prize
- The mercurial Republican president, who wants to be known as a peacemaker, has long coveted the prestigious award
- Pakistan nominated Trump for the peace prize last month but then condemned him a day later after he bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities
WASHINGTON: World leaders, lawmakers and even one Native American tribe are deploying a novel strategy for remaining on good terms with President Donald Trump: Praise his peacemaking efforts and nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize.
The announcements of nominations are piling up for the mercurial Republican president, who has long coveted the prestigious award. The honor, according to Albert Nobel’s wishes, is given to “the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”
Peace prize nominations for Trump date to his first term, but he’s talking more in his second about how he’s helping to end conflicts, how he wants to be known as a peacemaker and how much he wants to be awarded a prize.
Fellow leaders, politicians and others have taken notice. Critics say Trump policies that have sown division in the US and around the world make him unfit for a peace prize and he’s being manipulated with the nominations.
On Monday, as Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington to talk to Trump about Iran and the war in Gaza, the Israeli leader had something else to share with the president as they sat across from each other at a table set for their dinner meeting in the White House Blue Room.
“I want to present to you, Mr. President, the letter I sent to the Nobel Prize committee. It’s nominating you for the peace prize, which is well deserved, and you should get it,” Netanyahu told Trump as he rose from his seat to hand over a copy of the letter.
Trump thanked him. “Coming from you in particular, this is very meaningful,” the president said.
A group of African leaders had their turn with Trump a few days after Netanyahu.
The leaders referenced the US role in mediating a recent agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to bring peace after decades of bloody conflict that has killed millions. Representatives from both countries signed the deal in the Oval Office in front of Trump.
“And so he is now bringing peace back to a region where that was never possible so I believe that he does deserve a Nobel Peace Prize. That is my opinion,” said Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said Thursday, “President Trump was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize due to his proven record of securing peace around the world.” She added, “Thanks to this President’s leadership, America is respected again, making the entire world safer and more prosperous.”
The Nobel prizes are determined in secret. Nominations can come from a select group of people and organizations, including heads of state or politicians serving at a national level, university professors, directors of foreign policy institutes, past Nobel Prize recipients and members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee itself.
Past recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize include former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama, both Democrats.
READ MORE: Nobel: The prize for peace that leaders go to war for
Last month, as Trump announced the Rwanda-Congo deal, he complained that he’d never get a Nobel Peace Prize despite everything he’s done, ranging from the Abraham Accords of his first term, in which Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates normalized relations with Israel, to recently easing renewed tensions between India and Pakistan, among others.
Pakistan nominated Trump for the peace prize last month but then turned around and condemned him a day later after he bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities. Trump later worked with Israel and Iran to end their short war.
As a candidate, Trump promised he would end the Russia-Ukraine war on his first day in office before saying later as president that he was joking. But solving that conflict, as well as Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, has so far eluded Trump.
His supporters, including lawmakers in Congress, are trying to help make Trump’s dream come true.
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, has called on the Senate to nominate Trump, while Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, asked her social media followers to share her post if they agree with her that he deserves it.
Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., recently wrote on X that she has now nominated Trump twice and will continue to do so until he is awarded the prize.
“He has done more for world peace than any modern leader,” she wrote.
At least one Native American tribe said it intends to nominate Trump, too.
“No world leader has dedicated more time and effort to promoting global peace than President Donald Trump,” Marshall Pierite, chairman of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, said in a statement.
