Mitch McConnell insists on combining aid to Ukraine and Israel into a single package

Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell supports combining financial aid packages for Ukraine and Israel, despite the fact that House Republicans insist on a separate package for Tel Aviv.

"This is a moment for swift and decisive action to prevent further loss of life and bring to real accountability the tyrants who terrorise the people of Ukraine and Israel. And right now, the Senate has the opportunity to provide additional assistance to help us do just that," McConnell said on 30 October during an event in Louisville, Kentucky.

He also added that "enemies abroad will be watching closely and waiting for America to falter". In his opinion, only concrete and reliable US support can deter the country's adversaries in the future and restore security.

McConnell also sees a lot of similarities in the aggression against Israel and Ukraine.

"Think of it as an axis of evil: China, Russia and Iran. This is not just a test for Ukraine. This is a test for the United States and for the entire free world. And the path to greater security for all of us is simple: help Ukraine win the war," the Senate Republican leader said.

He also criticised his Republican colleagues who oppose providing financial and military assistance to Ukraine.

"Some say that our support for Ukraine comes at the expense of more important priorities. However, every time I have the opportunity, I emphasise that this is a false statement. If Russia wins, there is no doubt that Putin's appetite for empire will in fact extend to NATO, and this will increase the threat to the Alliance and the risk of war for us," Mitch McConnell concluded.

Political conflicts over US financial assistance to Ukraine and Israel

On 20 October, US President Joe Biden requested an additional $106 billion funding package from Congress. It includes defence assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, as well as funding to strengthen security on the US border with Mexico. Of this total amount, $61.3 billion is proposed to be allocated to supply weapons to Ukraine, and $14.3 billion to Israel.

At the same time, nine Republican senators sent a joint letter to Senate leaders calling for the aid packages for Israel and Ukraine to be split. The authors argue that combining the legislation into a single package would provoke political complications and hinder support for war-torn Israel.

"My colleagues and I firmly believe that any aid to Israel should not be used as leverage to send tens of billions of dollars more to Ukraine. These are two separate conflicts at different stages, and they should not be seen as a 'package deal'," said Roger Marshall, co-author of the letter.

Providing financial assistance to Ukraine may also be complicated by the position of the new Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, who is close to Trump. Earlier, he spoke out against a $40 billion package for Ukraine, and later hinted at "certain conditions" for readiness to negotiate the allocation of aid.

Instead, the White House assured that the United States is capable of providing assistance to both Ukraine and Israel, as well as protecting its own national interests.