Joe Biden promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the United States would support the war against Russia for “as long as it takes.”
But the war in Israel changed everything.
And the Department of Defense made one announcement about Israel that left Ukrainian President Zelensky in tears.
When Joe Biden addressed the American people from the Oval Office last week, he made his case for why he believes Congress should fund the war in Israel and Ukraine in one giant $100 billion spending bill.
The war between Israel and Hamas clearly has Joe Biden in a tight spot.
Last year, Biden promised to support the war in Ukraine for “as long as it takes.”
But Ukraine is taking a backseat with the Middle East on the brink of a massive conflict.
On Monday, the Department of Defense announced it’s taking weapons that had been dispatched to Ukraine and now redirecting them to Israel.
“We withdrew 155 [shells] from the stockpile in Israel for our forces in [European Command] and now we are sending that back to Israel for their use,” a senior defense official told reporters during a Pentagon press conference.
It’s not clear what amount of the stockpile is being sent back to Israel from Ukraine.
But last week Axios reported that the amount of 155mm shells were in the “tens of thousands.”
Of course, U.S. officials are trying to ease Zelensky’s concerns about Joe Biden going back on his word by claiming America can fight both wars at the same time.
“The United States can walk and chew gum at the same time,” one arrogant Pentagon official said.
“So we’re going to continue to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to defend its territory,” the official said. “And at the same time we’re ensuring that Israel has what it needs,” he continued. “Two very different operational environments with different levels of need and consultation.”
“And we’re continuing to prioritize both,” the official concluded.
But talk is cheap in times of war.
Army Secretary Christine Wormuth admitted last month that expanding weapons production would be a difficult to impossible task.
“One thing that is really important in terms of the munitions in particular, and our ability to support both potentially the Israelis and the Ukrainians simultaneously, is additional funding from Congress to be able to increase our capacity, in terms of our capacity to expand production and then to also pay for the munitions themselves,” she said.
Joe Biden promised Zelensky to bankroll his war for eternity if that’s what it takes.
But that was before the Middle East erupted into flames.
And Zelensky is learning that American politicians will quickly throw Ukraine or any other country under the bus for Israel.
