A Financial Times Editorial Board statement of Oct. 2 had moaned and groaned about the ouster of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the U.S. House and the gloomy prospects for continuing military aid to Ukraine, only to conclude that “support for Kiev, then, must be future-proofed as far as possible.” It’s becoming clear what the FT had in mind by that curious turn of phrase.
According to an article by U.S. Editor Tony Diver in the Daily Telegraph on Oct. 7, President Biden is considering the option of asking Congress for $100 billion in aid for Ukraine, to last through the 2024 presidential election. A source consulted by the Telegraph stated that “supporters of Ukraine want this to be a one-and-done, big bill, and then not have to deal with it until after the next election.… The big package idea is firmly supported by many throughout the administration.” Otherwise, Diver worries that European countries would have to come up with $2.7 billion a month to make up the shortfall.
