Behind US Arms Assistance to Ukraine
After six months of struggle, aid to Ukraine amounting to 60.84 billion US dollars finally received approval from the US DPR.
This article has been translated using AI. See Original .
About AI Translated Article
Please note that this article was automatically translated using Microsoft Azure AI, Open AI, and Google Translation AI. We cannot ensure that the entire content is translated accurately. If you spot any errors or inconsistencies, contact us at hotline@kompas.id, and we'll make every effort to address them. Thank you for your understanding.
The Chairman of the US House of Representatives provided a statement to journalists in the Capitol Building, Washington, US, regarding the approval of the US House of Representatives to provide assistance amounting to 95 billion US dollars to Ukraine, Israel, and several other US partners, on Saturday (20/4/2024).
Of the 410 members of the United States House of Representatives, aka The House or US DPR, voting on the entire aid package, 316 members said they agreed and 94 others answered no. Meanwhile, voting specifically for the aid package for Ukraine, of the 424 members of the House, 311 said they agreed and 112 said they did not. It was at this point that the crowd cheered happily.
There is a strong reason why they are rejoicing. Most US citizens have been observed to be concerned about the lack of military aid to Ukraine, which has been increasingly pressured by Russian attacks. Moreover, Russian airstrikes are becoming more massive by using large-scale bombs, with a weight of over 500 kg, which can cause significant damage.
Chairperson of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson (right) at a bipartisan candle lighting event with US Congress members to commemorate one month since the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel on October 7, 2023, at the US Congress Building on Tuesday (11/7/2023).
They assess that the US Government has been insufficient in providing weaponry to assist Ukraine's efforts against Russia. More than two years after Russia invaded Ukraine, American society is divided over whether America's support for Ukraine has been sufficient. However, the majority still believe that aiding in the recapture of Ukrainian territory is a worthwhile effort, no matter how long it takes.
The results of a Gallup survey conducted on March 1-17, 2024 found that 55% of Americans believe that the US should continue to support Ukraine in its efforts to reclaim its territory. Although this requires prolonged involvement, it is seen as a better option than ending the conflict quickly, especially since doing so would mean surrendering the territory to Russia.
The issue of air pollution is not new. The condition of the community threatened by air pollution has been going on for a long time. There are plenty of research findings that indicate the threats posed by air pollution. However, these have yet to encourage significant efforts in controlling air pollution. As a result, the residents are increasingly suffering in the midst of the air pollution. Gallup's survey also found that Democratic respondents were more supportive of aid to Ukraine than Republican respondents. Sixty percent of Democratic voters stated that US support for Ukraine was not sufficient, while only 15 percent of Republican respondents agreed. Independent voters' responses should also be noted, with 34% stating that US aid was not sufficient.
Meanwhile, from the composition of the approval (voting figures) of DPR members for US aid packages to allies, it appears difficult to obtain political approval in the US Congress. Compared to the proportion of "reject" responses from US Congress members to aid to Israel and Taiwan, the proportion of rejection responses from US parliament members to aid for Ukraine is observed to be larger.
Photo archives of US President Joe Biden meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Room of the White House, Washington, USA, Thursday (21/9/2023).
President Joe Biden's determination to help Ukraine
This indicates the seriousness of the resistance from members of the US DPR in discussing the proposal to become law. Previously, many parties fought for the financing assistance package for weapons. Starting from members of parliament from the Democratic Party, some members from the Republican Party, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to US President Joe Biden himself.
Not surprisingly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the US Congress for passing the aid bill. ”I thank the House of Representatives United States, both parties, and personally US House Speaker Mike Johnson for decisions that keep history on the right track,” wrote Zelensky in a post on page X, Sunday (21/4/2024).
Meanwhile, spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, stated on Saturday (20/4/2024) at the Russian Foreign Ministry Press that the US law providing military aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan will deepen the crisis worldwide.
The issue of air pollution is not new. The condition of society threatened by air pollution has been going on for a long time. There is a lot of research evidence indicating the threats of air pollution's impact. However, this has not yet been able to drive significant efforts towards controlling air pollution. As a result, residents are increasingly suffering, living under the siege of air pollution. The Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, himself had to work hard to persuade members of his own party, who actually wanted to prioritize the budget to address domestic issues in the US, such as border and immigration issues. Mike even potentially faces the threat of being removed as Speaker of the House for opposing his own party's stance.
A pile of M795 artillery projectiles at a US military ammunition manufacturing plant in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on Saturday (13/4/2024). The US Department of Defense can soon send the ammunition to Ukraine after obtaining approval from the US Congress.
Therefore, upon hearing that the US Congress has approved the aid package, President Joe Biden was eager to immediately sign the proposed law. It is understandable, as President Biden had been seeking approval from the US Congress for the aid since the end of October 2023.
"Today, members of parliament from both parties cast their votes to advance our national security interests and send a clear message about America's leadership strength on the world stage."
"At this critical turning point, they came together to answer the call of history, by passing the much-needed National Security Law that I have fought for months."
"To our friends in Ukraine, to our allies in NATO, to our allies in Israel, and to civilians worldwide in need of assistance, rest assured that America will provide aid again," exclaimed President Joe Biden as reported by voaindonesia on Sunday (21/4/2024).
US President Joe Biden is very confident that his move to spend US taxpayers' money about ten times the annual defense budget of Indonesia will make the world safer and more democratic.
Reasons for providing US aid to Ukraine
The total assistance covered in the Foreign Aid Bill amounts to 95 billion US dollars or around IDR 1.520 trillion. The assistance consists of 61 billion US dollars for Ukraine, 26 billion US dollars for Israel, and humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones including Gaza, as well as 8 billion US dollars for the Indo-Pacific region, especially Taiwan.
US President Joe Biden, in his speech on Wednesday (24/4/2024) during the enactment of the Foreign Aid Bill, described the aid as "very much needed" to protect the interests of the US and its allies around the world. This is because "Russia has collaborated with Iran and North Korea, the three axes of evil in the eyes of the US, attacking and disrupting the interests of the US and its allies in various parts of the world," said Biden.
In the war in Ukraine, for example, Iran and North Korea were accused of supplying Russia with weapons, technology, missiles and ammunition, which Russia used to attack civilian facilities throughout Ukraine. This was done amid a decline in ammunition and weapons supplies to the Ukrainian forces, causing them to retreat on several front lines, such as Bakhmut and Avdiivka.
Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson spoke to journalists after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Capitol Building on Tuesday (12/12/2023).
On the other hand, the agreement to provide military assistance to Ukraine has actually been helped in a geopolitical context by the massive drone and missile attack carried out by Iran on April 14 2024. The Iranian attack seemed to confirm the geopolitical-military danger targeting the US after Israel carried out operations against Hamas in Gaza.
The most massive attack in the past decade has opened the eyes of legislators and the general public in the US that their enemies have been working together and seriously developing weapons to attack US allies. Take, for example, Iran's ability to develop the jumbo-sized Emad-1 ballistic missile capable of carrying maneuverable reentry vehicles (MaRV) in the stratospheric layer.
However, almost all of Iran's drone attacks, cruise missiles and most of Iran's ballistic missiles were able to be repelled by Israel and the US coalition. If the drones and missiles cannot be blocked by Israel's air defense system, the United States and its coalition can be sure that land, territory and people in Israel will experience destruction that will have very complicated geopolitical consequences for the US.
Pro-Palestine protesters demonstrated in front of the Capitol Building in Washington, United States, on Saturday (20/4/2024), regarding the agreement of the US Congress to provide 95 billion US dollars in aid to Ukraine, Israel, and several other US partners.
Pro Israel, Palestine in the US
Another factor for the approval of this aid is the geopolitical context and spiritual atmosphere in the US after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, where the public reaction in the US tends to be negative towards Hamas and Palestine.
Generally, Americans think that Hamas should be held responsible for the Israel-Hamas war instead of the other way around. Data from a February 2024 Pew Research survey stated that 65 percent of respondents declared this. Hamas is seen as the party that "provokes" war through acts of terror against Israeli civilians.
Also read: The Third Year of the Russo-Ukrainian War (I): Waiting for the F-16 ”Godot”
In response to the attack on October 7, 2023, more than half of young people (58 percent) in the US stated that they could not accept it. Meanwhile, in the eyes of almost the entire group of elderly voters aged 65 and over, 85 percent stated that the attack on October 7, 2024 against Israel was unacceptable.
Although the American public tends to side with Israel, there is still a distinct nuance when looked at more closely. Regarding the conflict between Israel and Hamas, public reactions in the US are relatively divided. There is a small portion of the American public who sympathize with Palestine, even Hamas, although that does not represent the general view.
Dozens of vehicles were burned to ashes in the residential areas of Belgorod, Ukraine on Friday (22/3/2024), after Russian military launched dozens of missiles into Ukraine.
The issue of air pollution is not a new one. The condition of the community being threatened by air pollution has been ongoing for a long time. There is a significant amount of research evidence indicating the threats posed by air pollution. However, this has not yet driven significant efforts towards controlling air pollution. As a result, residents are increasingly suffering from living under the siege of air pollution. Young people, for example, tend to be more sympathetic towards Palestine than older generations who tend to sympathize more with Israel. In terms of Hamas, which is fighting against Israel, in the eyes of young US voters, Hamas has a legitimacy to fight against Israel by 34 percent for any reason.
The Pew Research survey data also shows that Republican party voters are more pro-Israel than Palestine with a ratio of 28 percent to 12 percent. On the other hand, Democratic party voters are more likely to be pro-Palestine than Israel with a ratio of 47 percent to 7 percent.
If we refer to the results of the survey and what is happening in the US Congress, it means there is a correspondence between the public's concerns and attitudes of Republican Party voters who are less aggressively supporting Ukraine in obtaining "compensation" with the approval of aid to Israel. By pouring financial aid for Israeli weaponry, the Republican Party also gets a share of the political "pie".
Meanwhile, in the context of US funding assistance for weapons to Ukraine, the Democratic representatives, who are more determined in promoting war aid to Ukraine compared to their Republican colleagues, also received their share. The aid is in line with the Democratic Party's political stance, which strongly voices its support for Ukraine. These are the things behind the reasons for the approval of the US assistance at present. (KOMPAS Research Institute)
Also read: When Iranian "Drones" and Missiles Attack Israel...
