White House

Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky will travel to Washington Tuesday to meet US President Joe Biden and plead his case before Republicans balking at sending more money for his fight against Russia, amid warnings aid will run out in weeks.

"If (Russian President Vladimir) Putin wins in Ukraine, he stands on NATO's doorstep. And as I said the other day, if you think the cost of supporting Ukraine is high now, think about how much it will be not only in money, but in American blood if we have to start acting on our Article Five obligations," White House National Security Adviser John Kirby said at a press briefing.

The fierce offensive of Israeli forces against Hamas fighters in the Gaza Strip continues. Meanwhile, Washington vetoed the UN Security Council's request for an immediate ceasefire.

Three officials from Tel Aviv gave this statement to the Politico on condition of anonymity.
Politico adds that this is a deadline that was also emphasized by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his visit to Israel this week.

In a firm statement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the prospect of peace talks with Ukraine on terms set by Kyiv, citing the impossibility of negotiations under such conditions. Peskov's remarks were in response to comments from official Washington, where he labeled the White House's expectations for 2024 negotiations as "absolutely unrealistic."

US President Joe Biden on Thursday (local time) held talks with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, emphasizing the "critical need" to protect civilians and to separate them from Hamas terrorists, including through corridors.

The two leaders discussed developments in Gaza, with Biden stressing the importance of the "continuous and sustained flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza".

Those with any interest in American elections should pay particular attention to our 2024 presidential election. It is shaping up to be different than 70% of post-WWII elections in our two-party democratic system. Our elections usually present a choice between the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party and the nominee of the Republican Party.

Israel intensified its strikes in Gaza's main cities on Friday, more than two months after Hamas's deadly attack sparked a war that has claimed thousands of lives and left the Palestinian territory in ruins.

They are pushing for stricter immigration control measures at the US-Mexico border.
The aid package was voted 49 to 51 by senators, meaning the $110.5 billion aid package fell short of the 60 votes needed in the 100-member Senate to open the way for debate.

Republican senators blocked a White House request for $106 billion in emergency aid, primarily for Ukraine and Israel, on Wednesday as conservatives balked at the exclusion of immigration reforms they had demanded as part of the package.