‘This Is The Show of Leadership And Strength of the United States’
Ukraine’s president applauds House vote for additional US assistance
The fresh dose of US aid — approved after months of delay by House Republicans — will prove vital to the future of Ukraine.
That was the message Sunday from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a day after the House approved a fresh dose of $61 billion to help Ukraine continue to fight off Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s attempt to takeover the country by brutal force.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson finally relented after nearly six months of infighting among right-wing lawmakers and allowed a bill to approve further US assistance to come to the House floor.
The final vote was 311 to 112 in favor of the aid package, which advances to the Senate which could approve it as early as Tuesday. It will then go to President Biden, who enthusiastically supports the aid bill and has promised to sign it into law.
After years of stunning successes against Russian forces, Ukraine’s defense against Putin’s aggression has been slipping in recent months as ammunition and other vital supplies began running out as US aid dried up.
That now will change, according to Zelensky, who has been leading his country through the onslaught.
This new tranche of US support will make a difference, he said.
“Yeah, it’s been so important. And we’d like to say thanks to the Congress for the bipartisan support. And we’d like to say thanks to Speaker Johnson and President Biden. Indeed, it is so important, the support from the United States of America,” Zelensky said, through a translator. “Of course, we need the support of the American people because, of course, the political decisions depend on the public opinion. And this aid will strengthen Ukraine, and send the Kremlin a powerful signal that it will not be the second Afghanistan.
“The United States will stay with Ukraine, will protect the Ukrainians, and they will protect democracy in the world. This is the show of leadership and strength of the United States,” he said, in an on-camera interview with Kristen Welker, of NBC News. “And I think, indeed, now we’ve reached this important moment. For half a year we’ve been waiting, and I would like to say thanks to all the team on my side and on the U.S. side, the team who did everything so that we would get this positive vote. And today, we definitely need this aid.
“And Kristen, you know, we really need to get this to the final point. We need to get it approved by the Senate. And then we want to get things as fast as possible so that we get some tangible assistance for the soldiers on the front line as soon as possible, not in another six months, so that they would be able to move ahead,” Zelensky said.
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