Ukraine Needs More Money

This week, President Biden has asked Congress to approve a $24 billion aid package for Ukraine. Assistant to the Secretary of Defense John Kirby said "the needs are great. We're hoping that this modest request, which covers only the first quarter of the 2024 fiscal year, will be a springboard for a more comprehensive and durable funding commitment later on."

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said "there is strong bipartisan support for demonstrating America’s resolve when it comes to defending democracy around the world. The latest revelation that portions of our earlier aid packages have been siphoned off to fund the purchase of luxury vehicles and vacation villas in Spain must not be allowed to undermine this resolve."

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) concurred, saying that "President Zelensky's quick action to fire those responsible for misusing American aid over the past year and a half refutes the naysayers who contend that continuing our participation in this war is not in America's interests. We can't let the $75 billion we've already invested in this war go to waste."

In related news, the U.S. Embassy in Belarus issued a rebuke against President Lukashenko, contending that "his 2020 election was fraudulent and his repression of those protesting the fraud is reprehensible. Many have been held in prison for months without a trial. His political opponents are being prosecuted for made-up crimes." Presidential Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre rejected comparisons to how President Biden is handling those who have protested and disputed the legitimacy of his 2020 election, saying that "Lukashenko is a dictator. President Biden is a widely recognized champion and defender of democracy. While the actions done by each of them may seem similar, the motivations are distinctly different."

SEMI-NEWS/SEMI-SATIRE by John Semmens