Washington is on the verge of sending $40 billion worth of military aid to Ukraine after winning House approval. Senator Rand Paul, however, turned out to be a stumbling block in the supply path by resisting the Senate’s speedy passage of this bill.
Adding to that deadlock is many Americans’ concerns about what they see as excessive aid hitting their own pockets, according to a recent poll by think tank PEW.
Although the majority of the country’s citizens support sending funds to Ukraine, the survey shows that more and more people believe that too much aid is being sent. The poll shows that 12% of Americans think so, a significant increase from the 7% recorded in March.
For some analysts, this change stems from a perception that the Biden administration is using the conflict to justify its economic mismanagement.
“We see prices rising and Russia’s military operation in Ukraine being used as a pretext,” says journalist Nelson del Castillo. “Billions of dollars are being sent into this competition to justify to the American people that the crisis they are suffering is related to the situation between Russia and Ukraine,” he adds.
“Right now, Biden’s priority isn’t with the Americans, it’s with the warlords,” Del Castillo denounced. “He’s trying to boost the war economy, and while that money is being sent to Ukraine, there are 40 million poor people living on the streets,” he recalls.
Meanwhile, many social media users are also claiming that Washington should focus on solving internal problems before sending millions of dollars abroad.
From the Pentagon, they have already warned that if the situation is not cleared before May 19, there could be a cut in aid supplies to Ukraine. For some this would be an injustice given their support for the Kiev cause, but for others it could be the first step in a necessary reallocation of the state budget.