US promises to support Ukraine and Israel

Pentagon chief: Washington can still “walk and chew gum at the same time.”

According to Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday, the US is still committed to continuing to support both Israel and Ukraine at the same time and is able to “project power” in several theatres.

“The United States is the world’s most powerful nation. At a press conference in Israel, the head of the Pentagon declared, “And we continue to be fully capable of projecting power, upholding our commitments, and directing resources to multiple theatres.”

“Consequently, we will support Israel just as we support Ukraine. In the US, it is possible to chew gum and walk at the same time, he continued.

According to Lloyd, US military aid will “flow in at the speed of war” to Israel. The assistance consists of “munitions, air-defense capacities, and other key equipment and resources,” namely missiles for Israel’s Iron Dome air defence systems that fend off Hamas’ less capable handmade unguided rockets.

READ ALSO: Saudi Arabia abandons the peace accord with Israel – Reuters

Washington has consistently assured the public that it can back both Israel and Ukraine without tipping the scales in favour of one or jeopardising its own security, but a number of media reports have hinted that things may not be as they seem. For instance, CNN has reported—citing numerous US officials—that the Pentagon had supported Ukraine with part of its stockpiles of artillery ammunition from Israel.

Israel would need 155mm NATO artillery shells, which the stockpiles of which have been “stretched thin” because of the conflict in Ukraine, if it actually starts a large-scale ground assault against Hamas, the site said. Ukraine and Israel currently “require different weapons,” it added.

When the Palestinian militant organisation launched an unexpected attack on southern Israel last Saturday, breaching the border with the Gaza Strip at various spots, tensions between Israel and Hamas started to build. As a result of Israel’s huge airstrikes on Gaza, thousands of Palestinians were hurt and hundreds of them died.