Republicans criticize White House for sending weapons to Haiti instead of Ukraine – Politico

The chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the US House of Representatives, Michael McCaul, and Senator Jim Risch criticized the administration of President Joe Biden for bypassing lawmakers by sending military equipment to Kenyan troops deployed in Haiti that could have been used to help Ukraine, reported Politico.

In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, McCaul and Risch faulted the administration for using their presidential powers to expedite $60 million in military aid to the Kenyan army to "quell violent gangs wreaking havoc" in Haiti.

This package contains rifles, ammunition and armored vehicles for the Kenyan troops heading to the island.

The letter to Blinken also says that the administration of the American president is rushing to finance an indefinite and open-ended operation in Haiti without the approval of Congress. At the same time, there is growing concern that the United States' support for Haiti could cost Ukraine dearly as it fights against Russian aggression, writes Politico.

"Armed services are conducting internal inventory audits to see what they can spare for Haiti — which puts it in direct competition with Ukraine for materials," said an aide to the Republican Party member on condition of anonymity.

In turn, the State Department stated that they are trying to respond to "multiple critical needs around the world, and the scenarios in Ukraine and Haiti are different."

"Supporting the people of Haiti does not limit or take away from our ability to support the people of Ukraine. Both are important priorities and in each case, we identify support tailored to the needs of our partners," said an unnamed American official.

Since April 2024, the United States allocated two packages under presidential authority and another $6 billion through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which will be used to purchase new weapons from American manufacturers for Ukraine.