The president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the US House of Representatives’ approval of $60 billion in aid to Ukraine today, but called on Washington to make the bill law and move forward with actual arms transfers, saying long-range weapons and air defense systems were the biggest priorities.
In an interview with NBC, Zelensky said that passing the bill would send a strong message to Russia that Washington stands by Kiev and that it will not be “a second Afghanistan.”
“I think this support will really strengthen the armed forces of Ukraine and we will have a chance for victory,” Zelensky said through an interpreter. But he repeatedly called on US lawmakers to act quickly to pass the bill in the Senate.
“We really need to see it through to the last point. It needs to be approved by the Senate … so that we have some tangible help for the soldiers on the front lines as soon as possible, not in another six months,” Zelensky said.
The US House of Representatives has approved, with broad bipartisan support, a $95 billion security aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Aid to Ukraine was delayed for months.
The bill now goes to the Senate, which passed a similar measure two months ago. US leaders from President Joe Biden to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, are calling on House Republican Speaker Mike Johnson to bring it up for a vote.
The Senate is expected to begin consideration of the bill the day after tomorrow, Tuesday, with some preliminary votes that afternoon. Final approval is expected sometime next week, paving the way for Biden to sign it into law.
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