Ukrainian and Western leaders laud US aid package, while the Kremlin warns of ‘further ruin’
- Ukraine says its soldiers will benefit from the aid package as Western leaders laud the US move, noting it will help ‘make us all safer’
- The decision will result in more deaths and bring even more ‘grief and devastation’ upon Ukraine, the Kremlin warns
Ukrainian and Western leaders welcomed a desperately needed aid package passed by the US House of Representatives, as the Kremlin warned the passage of the bill would “further ruin” Ukraine and cause more deaths.
The House swiftly approved US$95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other US allies in a rare Saturday session as Democrats and Republicans banded together after months of hard-right resistance over renewed American support for repelling Russia’s invasion.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who had warned that his country would lose the war without US funding, said he was grateful for the decision of US lawmakers.
“Now we have the chance to stabilise the situation and to [take] the initiative, and that’s why we need to actually have the weapons systems,” Zelensky told US broadcaster NBC on Sunday.
“When we get them … then we do have the chance to take this initiative and to move ahead to protect Ukraine.”
The Ukrainian president did not want to give “a specific timeline of the war” when asked as there were “too many factors”.
However, Zelensky once again issued an urgent warning about Russian President Vladimir Putin.