AIDING WARS IN THE HOPE OF ACHIEVING PEACE

The US has recently cleared a $95-bn package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. It's ironic that there is more aid for fighting than for rebuilding and humanitarian assistance

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THE US has three areas of major strategic interest among warlike standoffs around the world Ukraine-Russia, Israel-Iran and China-Taiwan.

Backing allies in regional military engagements is always a risk for the US. If that backing ends in an engagement far longer than anticipated, the bankrolling also becomes the US's responsibility. President Joe Biden has been attempting for a year to garner legislative backing for financial support for the provision of sufficient funds to cater to the security of its allies Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, in that order of precedence. Conceptually, Biden wished to balance this with a display of humanitarian support to ward off inevitable criticism about the support in the kinetic domain. The Republican opposition has been needling the president for over a year but has at last helped pass the bill into law. Ironically, it's happening just when campuses in the US are going berserk with protests about the Israeli operations in Gaza.

The package totalling $95 billion includes $61 billion for Ukraine, $26 billion for Israel and $8 billion for Taiwan.

It is a substantial package that can make a major impact, particularly to Ukraine and Israel's capability. With everything in readiness due to the long-anticipated clearance by the lawmakers, the weapon packages can be rolled out instantly to Ukraine, where the situation is obviously very tenuous. The passage of the bill bears huge scope for psychological messaging related to the US's loyalty to its allies, a sense of commitment that it will not turn its back on them.