US Sen. J.D. Vance Joins Calls for Ukraine, Israel Aid to Be Split

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Facts

  • US Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) began sharing a memo titled 'Differentiating Ukraine and Israel' with other senators on Monday, becoming the latest Republican to suggest amending the Biden administration's $105B foreign aid package request.1
  • According to Fox News, the memo stated that to attach aid to both Ukraine and Israel together would be a 'grave error,' with both situations being 'distinct' as well as 'represent[ing] a different claim on US interests.'2
  • Vance said that Pres. Joe Biden shouldn't use 'Israeli children' to secure more aid to Ukraine. He's one of nine Senate Republicans who co-signed a letter last Friday demanding that the two countries not receive funding as part of the same legislative package.3
  • Speaking to 21News in Ohio on Saturday, Vance claimed that the Biden administration wants to 'use Israel as a political cover for Ukraine,' claiming that the White House's Ukraine policy was 'unpopular.'4
  • Of the aid requested, the Biden administration has provisionally dedicated $61.4B to Ukraine, $14.3B to Israel, $9.15B to humanitarian relief – including both Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine — $13.6B to US border security, and $7.4B to counter Chinese influence in a package that would see Ukraine funded until September 2024.5
  • Meanwhile, speaking to CBS as part of an interview aired on Sunday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) claimed that the separation of Ukrainian and Israeli aid would be a 'mistake,' arguing that the international matters were 'interconnected' and required a 'worldwide approach.'6

Sources: 1Yahoo News, 2FOX News, 3Vanity Fair, 4USA Today, 5NPR Online News and 6CBS.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Washington Post. Current opposition by a minority of isolationist Republicans to a funding bill that includes both Ukraine and Israel lacks awareness of the nuances of the conflicts. Those Republican outliers are also counting on the failure of the party to unite and elect a House speaker to defund Ukraine. Criticism of the Biden administration's approach is foolish and naïve.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Federalist. Many in Washington are pushing the narrative that current events in Ukraine and Israel are so intertwined that the continued spending of billions of dollars from the American taxpayer shouldn't be questioned in any manner. The truth remains that only Israel holds the title of being one of the US' closest allies and unreserved financial backing for Ukraine isn't sustainable.

Predictions