Conflicts in Ukraine and Middle East have clear links - Blinken

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the Senate hearing on Biden's $106 billion national security supplemental request, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"The conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have clear links," he said.

He explained that since Russia's traditional means of supplying its military have been cut off with international sanctions and restrictions, it turned more and more to Iran for assistance. In return, Moscow supplied Iran with increasingly advanced military technology, which poses a threat to Israel's security.

"Allowing Russia to prevail with Iran's support will simply embolden both Moscow and Iran," Blinken said.

He also noted that the adversaries and competitors of the United States and Western countries "recognize that our strategies are working and continue to do everything they can to disrupt us." In this regard, Blinken said that many are again making the bet that the United States is too divided and too distracted at home to stay the course.

He said U.S. President Joe Biden's request for additional funding would "secure urgent resources that we need to continue to lead." Funds for Israel will help the nation "defend its people" after "Hamas's appalling slaughter," while money for Ukraine will ensure that it can continue "its war effort" and that "Russian invasion is a strategic debacle, making it weaker in nearly every way," Blinken said.