Some were asking on social media about the latest news from Washington DC: how is this even legal? It’s an evergreen question on numerous issues, but Ukraine's war aid will not be impacted as we’re barreling toward a government shutdown. Members of Congress decided to leave the city for the long weekend. The deadline to pass a new spending bill to keep the government open is September 30, but have no fear, Volodymyr Zelensky. Your money is safe (via Politico):
🚨 JUST IN: The Pentagon has decided to EXEMPT Ukraine operations from a potential government shutdown if lawmakers fail to reach a deal by the end of the month.
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 21, 2023
This means tens of billions will continue flowing into Ukraine regardless.
Why is that even legal? pic.twitter.com/GKcCPb9aTb
The Pentagon will exempt its Ukraine operations from a potential shutdown if lawmakers can’t agree on a deal to fund the government by the end of the month, allowing key training and other activities in support of Kyiv’s forces to move ahead uninterrupted, according to a Defense Department spokesperson.
Washington is more resigned to the looming government shutdown every day. As the Sept. 30 deadline approaches, congressional leaders showed little progress this week in moving a stopgap funding bill to avert that scenario. The House was in chaos on Thursday as a group of GOP hardliners tanked a vote that could have offered a path to fund the government.
But if lawmakers fail to reach an agreement and government appropriations lapse, DOD has decided to continue activities supporting Ukraine, DOD spokesperson Chris Sherwood told POLITICO Thursday — just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Mark Milley and other senior leaders at the Pentagon.
“Operation Atlantic Resolve is an excepted activity under a government lapse in appropriations,” Sherwood said, referring to the named operation for DOD’s activities in response to the Russian invasion.
[…]
During the White House meeting, Biden announced a new $325 million package of aid for Ukraine, including more air defenses, artillery and additional cluster munitions. He also said that the first of the U.S. Army’s M1 Abrams tanks pledged to Kyiv are expected to arrive on the battlefield next week.
The support for Ukraine war aid has dropped precipitously since February. The conflict and the events before it, pinpoint why Biden is clueless on foreign policy. We left Afghanistan in a humiliating fashion because Biden said it was an endless war that didn’t serve our interests. He decided to change course by getting us involved in an endless Ukraine war involving an actor with nuclear weapons. What’s the end game? There is none. We’re nation-building now, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken promising to rebuild Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. So, neoconservative-like projects are only bad when Republicans do them. Where have I heard that one before? With no fear of losing his biggest supporter, no wonder Zelensky can wine and dine with the world’s wealthiest power brokers with little to no worries (via NY Post):
Volodymyr Zelensky’s most important speech while in New York last week was not at the UN, but in a private room a few blocks away.
“Investing in Ukraine has to be good for you and good for us. I understand capitalism,” the Ukrainian president told what was described to me as a “star-struck” group of billionaire financiers, plus Henry Kissinger, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and celebrity chef José Andrés.
[…]
For some real action, you needed to have been a fly on the wall a couple of days later on Thursday, around mid-afternoon. Under the guise of secrecy, at Ukraine’s Permanent Mission, Zelensky sat down with some of the richest men in the world. While Zelensky needs US government aid to keep fighting the good fight against Putin (he flew to DC later that night), he needs the dudes in that room — and their money — to make sure Ukraine survives and thrives once the fighting stops.
I wasn’t that fly, but my sources were, which is why the meeting arranged by megabank JP Morgan turned out to be not so secret. Mary Erdoes, head of wealth management, and her No. 2, Vince La Padula, came up with the idea to host Zelensky and the moneymen while the UN was in session. Both know the country from the ground up, literally. Erdoes has donated her time to building orphanages in the western part of the country; La Padula in February dodged bombs as he toured Kyiv.
Feel free to comment below on this. Sarah had more details about the arms package yesterday.