President Joe Biden has reassured key allies of continued US support for Ukraine amid political chaos in Washington. Biden spoke with Western leaders to calm nerves after new assistance for Ukraine was dropped from a deal in the US Congress to avoid a government shutdown. However, Biden’s hopes of quickly pushing through a new bill for Ukraine were thrown into disarray when hardline Republicans rebelled against Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Biden urged the quick election of a new speaker to address the urgent challenges facing the nation. The White House emphasized the importance of supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Pentagon stated that it could continue meeting Ukraine’s military needs for a little longer with existing authorized assistance. Allies expressed their commitment to supporting Ukraine, with the US being the largest supplier of aid. The chaos in Washington has raised doubts about Western unity, and Russia has taken advantage of the situation, warning of growing war fatigue and uncertainty over US assistance for Ukraine. The Ukraine aid now appears to be held hostage to US politics, with far-right Republicans prioritizing stopping aid to Ukraine. Opposition to aid among hardline Republicans has been increasing, and doubts about Western unity have also grown after Slovakia elected a leader who pledged to end military support for Ukraine.
