Israel-Hamas war: President Joe Biden says support for Israel and Ukraine is ‘vital’ for US security, asking Congress for billions

President Joe Biden speaks from the Oval Office. Photo / AP

President Joe Biden has declared that it is “vital for America’s national security” for Israel and Ukraine to succeed in their wars, while making the case for deepening US involvement in two unpredictable foreign conflicts as he prepared to ask for billions of dollars in military assistance for both countries.

If international aggression is allowed to continue, Biden said in a rare Oval Office address, “conflict and chaos could spread in other parts of the world”.

“Hamas and Putin represent different threats,” Biden said. “But they share this in common. They both want to completely annihilate a neighbouring democracy.”

He said he would send an urgent funding request to Congress, which is expected to be US$105 billion (NZ$180.3b) for the next year. The proposal includes US$60b ($103b) for Ukraine, much of which is for replenishing US weapons stockpiles that have already been provided.

There’s US$14b ($24b) for Israel, US$10b ($17.1b) for humanitarian efforts, US$14b for managing the US-Mexico border and fighting fentanyl trafficking and US$7b for the Indo-Pacific region, which includes Taiwan. The proposal was described by three people familiar with the details who insisted on anonymity before the official announcement.

President Joe Biden speaks from the Oval Office of the White House. Photo / AP

“It’s a smart investment that’s going to pay dividends for American security for generations,” Biden said.

Biden hopes that combining all of these issues into one piece of legislation will create the necessary political coalition for congressional approval. His speech comes the day after his high-stakes trip to Israel, where he showed solidarity with the country in its battle against Hamas and pushed for more humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Ahead of his address, Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stress that the US remained committed to backing Kyiv, the White House said.

Biden faces an array of steep challenges as he tries to secure the money. The House remains in chaos because the Republican majority has been unable to select a speaker to replace Republican Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted more than two weeks ago.

In addition, conservative Republicans oppose sending more weapons to Ukraine as its battle against the Russian invasion approaches the two-year mark. Biden’s previous request for funding, which included US$24b to help with the next few months of fighting, was stripped out of budget legislation last month despite a personal plea from Zelenskyy.

The White House has warned that time is running out to prevent Ukraine, which recently struggled to make progress in a gruelling counteroffensive, from losing ground to Russia because of dwindling supplies of weapons.

President Joe Biden speaks from the Oval Office of the White House. Photo / AP

There will be resistance on the other side of the political spectrum when it comes to military assistance for Israel, which has been bombarding the Gaza Strip in response to the Hamas attack on October 7.

Critics have accused Israel of indiscriminately killing civilians and committing war crimes by cutting off essential supplies like food, water and fuel.

Bipartisan support for Israel has already eroded in recent years as progressive Democrats have become more outspoken in their opposition to the country’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian territory, which is widely viewed as illegal by the international community.

Biden’s decision to include funding for Taiwan in his proposal is a nod toward the potential for another international conflict. China wants to reunify the self-governing island with the mainland, a goal that could be carried out through force.

Although wars in Europe and the Middle East have been the most immediate concerns for US foreign policy, Biden views Asia as the key arena in the struggle for global influence.

The administration’s national security strategy, released last year, describes China as “America’s most consequential geopolitical challenge”.