Defense
America’s “Red Line” shifts in Israel, Ukraine
The United States is currently involved in two major wars, one in Ukraine and one in Israel. In the past, it has seemed like we had laid out “red lines” that these countries could not cross when using United States equipment and receiving military aid. However those lines appear to be shifting yet again, deepening the intensity of both conflicts.
In Israel, the IDF has moved into Rafah. While the United States and many other allies of Israel around the world warned against this action, they now appear to have accepted it regardless of their previous statements.
In an interview with CNN earlier this month, Biden said “I made it clear that if they go into Rafah — they haven’t gone in Rafah yet — if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities — that deal with that problem.”
However the White House today clarified that Israel has not crossed their “red line,” and affirmed America’s support for Israel. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby expressed concern about Israel’s actions, but he clarified that this would not result in a shift in military policy.
The United States is also allowing Ukraine a longer leash to utilize its military capabilities. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told European leaders that the United States may consider allowing Ukraine to strike inside Russian territory using American military equipment.
Previously, the United States has been careful to sanction anything that could be seen as a direct attack on Russian territory using US-made armaments. These changes come as Blinken signals that the United States feels the need to “adapt and adjust” their policies to the current situation in Ukraine.
President Biden has been hesitant to approve more aggressive action by Israel and Ukraine, with some observers citing his presidential campaign as a reason why he is being more cautious. Both wars have declined in popularity, and Israel’s actions have been especially controversial amongst Democratic supporters.
A clear divide has appeared between US President Joe Biden and Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu. What on October 7th appeared to be a relatively amicable relationship has since soured, as the United States has decreased aid to the nation amid human rights concerns.
Netanyahu has opposed the ceasefire plan proposed by President Biden, and his government has even accused the President of wanting to end the war without defeating Hamas for his own political gain.
This rift is starting to show in the Biden campaign’s preparations for Netanyahu’s upcoming speech to congress. Addressing a joint session, the Biden team will have no oversight over what Netanyahu will say. This could let him use the time as a means to attack President Biden over a lack of support.
This may not be just worries, there is already evidence to back up the fact that Netanyahu is willing to attack President Biden if necessary. He has already released videos, including some in English, that attack Biden for withholding military aid.
Biden has reportedly not yet invited Netanyahu to speak with him while he is in Washington, a move which will likely only serve to exacerbate tensions.
Biden is struggling to balance support for both Israel and Palestine in his bid for re-election, as he attempts to please both the progressive and the pro-Israel members of his party.
Following months of deadlock in the United States House of Representatives, a vote today approved roughly $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and other United States allies. The deal was passed with bipartisan approval of both Democrats and Republicans, following opposition to similar deals from both the far-left and far-right.
The majority of the aid, an estimated $61 billion, will be sent to Ukraine. Ukraine has expressed the need for further financial support from the United States in order to keep fighting Russia. They have recently expressed concerns that if this aid package were to fail, they would struggle to hold the line.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude for the aid on social media paltform X late on Saturday night. He specifically thanked Speaker Mike Johnson, who may have put his job on the line to get the bill across the finish line. There were renewed cries for his ousting from the far-right after the passage of the bill.
The bill also includes $26.4 billion for Israel to resupply their military as they fight against Hamas, and $8.1 billion to counter Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Much of that will go to support Taiwan.
Netanyahu also thanked America for its support, saying on X (formerly known as Twitter,) “Thank you friends, thank you America!”
The bill still has to pass the Senate, however that is unlikely to be an obstacle. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has already made it clear that he supports the bill, and could bring it up for a vote as soon as Tuesday morning. President Biden has also expressed his support for the aid package, and said that he would sign it as soon as it passed the Senate.
Earlier today, Argentine Defense Minister Luis Petri made a statement saying that Argentina has officially applied to become one of NATO’s “global partners.” This comes amidst a shift towards the west for the country, which recently elected a new right-wing president in Javier Milei.
The minister met with the Deputy Secretary General of NATO, Mircea Geoana, and presented him with an official letter requesting to join.
Argentina has been shifting closer to the West in recent months. They have made steps towards repayment to the IMF, and have signaled that they want closer ties with the United States. He has also made plans to meet with European leaders, and has worked to improve relations with many other western powers.
President Milei has also been a strong supporter of the pro-Western sides of two major global conflicts in Ukraine and Israel. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy attended his inauguration, signaling that the two countries are moving closer together.
Before the election, it looked as if Argentina was steps away from joining BRICS, a different governmental agency containing the likes of Brazil, China, and Russia. However the steps laid out by the Argentine government make it clear that Argentina is shifting distinctly in the pro-Western direction.
If approved, Argentina would join the other NATO partner countries, including Australia, Colombia, Iraq, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand and Pakistan.
NATO partner countries share intelligence, and frequently participate in joint military training operations and war games.
They also share some technology, mostly in the form of purchasing United States defense technology. On Tuesday, Argentina announced they were purchasing 24 F-16’s from Denmark in a United States-approved deal.
