Updated 03:11 | Published at 3:00 am
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US President Joe Biden assured allies in Europe and NATO that support for war-torn Ukraine remains firm, despite political chaos in Congress in Washington.
But just hours later, the chaos worsened and support may be hanging loose.
– Time is not our friend, says the White House’s John Kirby.
On Tuesday, President Biden had called the leaders of Great Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland, Romania as well as the heads of the EU and NATO as well as the foreign minister of France to a telephone conversation.
Biden wanted to emphasize that the US’s extensive support for war-torn Ukraine should continue, despite being lifted out of the temporary budget deal hammered out by both houses of the US Congress this weekend.
“President Biden reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to support Ukraine for as long as necessary,” the White House said after the meeting.
Would like to see support withdrawn
The bickering politicians in Congress have had difficulty agreeing on a state budget for the United States. This weekend they agreed on a short-term solution, to let the costs run for 45 days to give more time for negotiations.
But the possibility of getting Congress to quickly approve a new aid package was hampered on Tuesday night, when Republican Kevin McCarthy was tapped as speaker of the House of Representatives.
The vote of confidence was initiated by the phalanx within the Republicans who want to see a tight state budget with substantial cuts and the withdrawal of support for Ukraine.
Ammunition may run out
McCarthy’s eventual successor, if and when the House of Representatives manages to agree on one, will likely be under even more pressure to avoid further aid to Ukraine, according to an analysis by Goldman Sachs.
US National Security Adviser John Kirby warned earlier on Tuesday that if new aid to Ukraine is not approved, existing military funds will last only a couple of months.
– Time is not our friend, Kirby told a group of reporters, according to AFP.
An interruption in funding would not only have direct consequences on the battlefield, but also “make Putin think he can wait us out,” Kirby added.