Associated Press
Ukrainian and Western leaders welcomed a desperately needed aid package passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, as the Kremlin warned the passage of the bill would “further ruin” Ukraine and cause more deaths.
The House swiftly approved $95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. 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 Zelenskyy, who had warned that his country would lose the war without U.S. funding, said that he was grateful for the decision of U.S. lawmakers.
“We appreciate every sign of support for our country and its independence, people and way of life, which Russia is attempting to bury under the rubble,” he wrote on social media site X.
“America has demonstrated its leadership since the first days of this war. Exactly this type of leadership is required to maintain a rules-based international order and predictability for all nations,” he said.
The Ukrainian president noted that his country’s “warriors on the front lines” would feel the benefit of the aid package.
One such “warrior” is infantry soldier Oleksandr, fighting around Avdiivka, the city in the Donetsk region that Ukraine lost to Russia in February after months of intense combat.
“With this we can stop them and reduce our losses. It’s the first step to have the possibility to liberate our territory.”
Ammunition shortages linked to the aid holdup over the past six months have led Ukrainian military commanders to ration shells, a disadvantage that Russia seized on this year — taking the city of Avdiivka and currently inching towards the town of Chasiv Yar, also in the Donetsk region.
In Kyiv, civilians shared their views on the U.S. aid package.
“I heard our president officially say that we can lose the war without this help. Thanks very much and yesterday was a great event,” said Kateryna Ruda, 43.
Tatyana Ryavchenuk, the wife of a Ukrainian soldier, noted the need for more weapons, lamenting that soldiers “have nothing to protect us.”
“They need weapons, they need gear, they need it. We always need help. Because without help, our enemy can advance further and can be in the center of our city,” the 26-year-old said.
Other Western leaders also lauded the aid package.
“Ukraine is using the weapons provided by NATO Allies to destroy Russian combat capabilities. This makes us all safer, in Europe & North America,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg wrote on X.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that “Ukraine deserves all the support it can get against Russia.”
Her statement was echoed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who called it “a strong signal in these times.”
“We stand with the Ukrainians fighting for their free, democratic and independent country,” Scholz posted on X.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk thanked House Speaker Mike Johnson, while also noting the holdup in Congress. “Better late than too late. And I hope it is not too late for Ukraine,” he wrote on X.
In Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the approval of aid to Ukraine “expected and predictable.”
The decision “will make the United States of America richer, further ruin Ukraine and result in the deaths of even more Ukrainians, the fault of the Kyiv regime,” Peskov was quoted as saying by Russian news agency Ria Novosti.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also took to social media to speak against the aid package.
“The allocation of military assistance by the United States to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan will aggravate the global crisis: military assistance to the Kyiv regime is direct sponsorship of terrorist activities,” she wrote on Telegram.
“The new aid package will not save, but, on the contrary, will kill thousands and thousands more people, prolong the conflict, and bring even more grief and devastation,” Leonid Slutsky, head of the Russian State Duma Committee on International Affairs, wrote on Telegram.
The whole aid package will go to the U.S. Senate, which could pass it as soon as Tuesday. President Joe Biden has promised to sign it immediately.
In its latest assessment, a Washington-based think tank said that the logistics of getting U.S. assistance to the front line would likely mean that its effect would not be felt for several weeks“Ukrainian forces may suffer additional setbacks in the coming weeks while waiting for U.S. security assistance that will allow Ukraine to stabilize the front,” the Institute for the Study of War said.
“But they will likely be able to blunt the current Russian offensive assuming the resumed U.S. assistance arrives promptly.”
On the ground, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Sunday that its troops had taken control of the village of Bohdanivka in the Donetsk region. Ukrainian officials have not yet commented on the claim.
One person was killed and four other people wounded in Russian shelling in Ukrainsk, according to the prosecutor’s office in Ukraine’s partially occupied Donetsk region.
___
Republished with permission from The Associated Press.
22 comments
Joey Warbucks
April 21, 2024 at 9:31 am
Where’s my share?
rick whitaker
April 21, 2024 at 9:43 am
JOEY, are you being attacked by the russians? if so then get your share.
Don’t
April 21, 2024 at 10:55 am
The Russians attacked Ukraine.
Hamas invades Israel.
Iran attacks Israel with drones and missiles.
Now remind everyone who is President of the US and what a colossal failure his foreign policy has been. Here is a replay of Biden’s message to the aggressors around the world
DON’T!
That’s it. Did any one of them listen? Do any of them take that senile old fool serious?
rick whitaker
April 21, 2024 at 12:37 pm
DON’T, yeah……………right?? whatever dude!
Don’t
April 21, 2024 at 1:25 pm
Boom!!!!!
Earl Pitts "RON'S OFFICIAL "UNOFFICIAL VPOTUS CAMPAIGN MANAGER" American
April 21, 2024 at 1:16 pm
Thanks “Don’t” for being a Sage Patriot inspired to comment here which used to be a totally leftist dominated online communitty. That my friend, “Don’t” was prior to ME, Earl Pitts American, having accidently stumbeling upon this closed echo chamber club of Dook 4 Brains Leftys reinforceing their leftist wackey opinions back and forth with each other.
A LITTLE HISTORY:
This was back in the day when that disgusting A. Gillum was making his run for Florida’s Govornor against the honest, good looking, man of The People, Ron DeSantis.
I, Earl Pitts Anerican, stood alone against the happy little hord of Leftys, and turned the State against Gillum and was the driving force behind DeSantis election.
Slowley more and more like minded Conservatives like you, Don’t, reached down in their tighty whities and discovered their long lost testicals and joined in my battle for Truth, Justice, and The American Way.
Our Beloved On-Line Host, Peter, soon discovered that I. Earl Pitts American, was the driving force which doubled then tripeled and so-forth his readership and foot-print beyond “Just a Little Florida Operation l” into a World-Wide Media Giant.
Again, welcome, Don”t, you are in good company,
Earl Pitts “KING MAKER” American
Speedy Gonzalez
April 21, 2024 at 2:12 pm
Thanks Senior Earl as SloPoke says Earl is the true America hero like Daniel Boon and Abe Linkin too. We are now here at Bill Marrs house protecting boss Bill from dook leftist attack. Earl says left dont like boss Bill and can try to invade boss house to hurt boss bill.
We are here
rick whitaker
April 21, 2024 at 2:14 pm
EARL, WHATEVER DUDE
Hung Wiil
April 21, 2024 at 9:04 pm
But its Joey’s money in the first place, ool.
rick whitaker
April 21, 2024 at 9:28 pm
HUNG, joey is a right-wing person or corporation that makes a lot of money but doesn’t seem to pay little or any taxes. but they loudly cry about taxes to confuse the working class guy into voting against his own intertest. that seems to be the people you prefer, are you rich?
Earl Pitts "RON'S OFFICIAL "UNOFFICIAL VPOTUS CAMPAIGN MANAGER" American
April 21, 2024 at 2:40 pm
Good afternoon Members of The EPA Fan Club,
Dont forget, Rick, works for me and is doing an excelent job at turning more and more Registared Democrats into (Seceret ….. Shhhhh …. Sage Trump Voters).
Remember Sage Members …. no attacks on Rick will be tolerated ….. just keep on posting whatever Sage Wisdom you want but let Rick do his job to save America.
Thanks Sage Patriots and a BIG TIP OF THE HAT to Rick who is down in the tunnels just like he was in Viet Nam fighting the Good Battle for Truth, Justice, and THE AMERICAN WAY.
Thank you, Sage Rick, for your Past & Present service to our Great Nation “Then And Now”
“SALUTE TO RICK A FINE UPSTANDING AMERICAN HERO”
*queue Extra Loud Version of The Beloved Ray Charles and THE BEAUTIFUL RAYETTS singing their Beloved FOREVER HIT RENDITION OF AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL to honor the Service of Private First Class RICK WHITTAKER*
Julia
April 21, 2024 at 4:37 pm
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April 21, 2024 at 4:38 pm
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Dont Say FLA
April 21, 2024 at 4:42 pm
Quick poll: What does everyone think Marjorie Trailer Green is trying to gift to the Democrats?
A- Mike Johnson brings a bill up for a vote that would Consitutionalize Roe v Wade as the law of the land
or
B- Mike Johnson brings the border bill up for a vote despite Trump’s IKEA instructions not to do that
Don’t
April 21, 2024 at 4:49 pm
Interesting how it’s only now that Joe Biden, Ka Mana Harris, and impeached Mayorkas are now interested in US Border Security. There has been a full blown assault on our Southern Border since Slo Joe took over. Now he and the Dems want to save face because the election is coming. Now if the Repubs had a different nominee it would be a rout come November.
Dont Say FLA
April 21, 2024 at 4:53 pm
Is that a “B”? You think the Dems will demand Johnson bring the Senate’s border bill to the floor for a vote in exchange for the Dems keeping him on as speaker?
Sleepy Joe is Slo Joe now? That nickname makes me hungry it sound like a ymmy sammitch. Please do me a favor and keep The Donaldzzz awake so Joe can be Sleepy Joe again.
Don’t
April 21, 2024 at 5:09 pm
Slo, Sleepy, Incoherent, Incompetent, Hologram, Feet Shuffling, Bumbling, Babbling, etc. Joe has lots of nicknames. Don’t is the single word he mumbled to all of the foreign leaders out there attacking Israel, and Ukraine. Did any of them pay attention to Slo?
rick whitaker
April 21, 2024 at 8:37 pm
DON’T, you like name-calling a lot, just how old are you?
Dont Say FLA
April 21, 2024 at 4:57 pm
Oh and hello!
I am relieved to see you were not the guy who self immolated. I seriously thought it might have been you.
The devil
April 21, 2024 at 5:04 pm
Joe biden sold out Ukraine we had to work our asses off to get that foreign aid passed Byron Donalds is a prick and that’s the end of that fukin debate. Have a great week !
Church Monsters
April 21, 2024 at 5:57 pm
This entire section is a referendum on the atrocities of Christians.
Angry.
Not loving each other.
In it to win it.
Hung Wiil
April 21, 2024 at 9:05 pm
Go back to sleep.