President Biden will give a prime-time speech on Thursday about the war in Ukraine and terrorist attacks in Israel as his administration prepares to ask Congress to approve tens of billions of dollars in military aid for the two embattled nations.
The address marks the second time Mr. Biden has delivered formal remarks from the Oval Office since becoming president. In June, he spoke behind the Resolute Desk about a bipartisan agreement to prevent the nation from defaulting, an agreement that House Republicans later abandoned.
In his speech on Thursday, Mr. Biden will address the American response to the two serious battles that he says threaten democratic stability around the world: the war that followed last year’s Russian invasion of Ukraine and the War that began this month after the brutal attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7th.
A senior White House official said Mr. Biden would seek to provide the American people with a comprehensive explanation of why two wars half a world away are critical to the national security of the United States.
The official, who did not want to be identified discussing the planning of the president’s speech, said the purpose of the address was for the president to reflect on the events of the last few weeks in Israel and the 600 days that Ukraine has had since the speech Russia is fighting, should think about invasion.
During a whirlwind visit to Israel on Tuesday, Mr. Biden said he would soon “ask the United States Congress for an unprecedented support package for Israel’s defense.” He said the request would help provide Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system with the ammunition it needs to protect Israelis from missiles.
The White House official said Mr. Biden would not be expected to provide specific details about Congress’ funding request. The administration will announce more details on Friday, the official said.
Jake Sullivan, the president’s national security adviser, said this week that the request for aid to Israel comes alongside another request for more military equipment for Ukraine, which is struggling to retake territory that Russia has seized in the 20 months since War conquered has begun.
“The president has made it clear that he will communicate to Congress a funding package for Ukraine as well as further support for Israel,” Sullivan said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
The White House has provided few details about the amount of aid it will seek for Israel and Ukraine. But several people familiar with the plan say Mr. Biden is expected to ask Congress in the coming days to approve about $100 billion in emergency funds to arm Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan to fortify the border between the USA and Mexico.
Thursday’s address could be a chance to bring Republicans and Democrats together and advocate for support for Israel and Ukraine, which has traditionally received bipartisan support. Mr Biden’s first speech condemning Hamas after its October 7 attacks drew widespread praise from members of both parties in the United States.
But that bipartisanship could be tested if the president formally asks Congress for money to fund the fighting. Some Republicans had already begun to question the need for continued American aid to Ukraine. And a small but vocal group of Democratic lawmakers strongly opposes more aid to Israel.
The president will have to navigate a number of ideological differences if he seeks all aid in a single congressional vote. And as of Wednesday evening, House Republicans still had not chosen a speaker, leaving that chamber and the entire Congress in legislative limbo with no authority to act on any request from Mr. Biden.