The long-awaited €89 billion aid bill was approved by the House, and will go through the US Senate on Tuesday.
ADVERTISEMENTUkrainian and Western leaders on Sunday welcomed a desperately needed aid package passed by the US House of Representatives. The bulk of the funding will go to Ukraine, with other countries like Israel and Taiwan benefitting as well.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had warned that his country would lose the war without US funding, said that the aid should come to the front line as soon as possible.
Posting on X, formerly Twitter, he said, "The time between political decisions and actual damage to the enemy on the front lines, between the package's approval and our warriors' strengthening, must be as short as possible."
Ukrainian commanders and analysts say the long-awaited bill will help slow Russia’s incremental advances in the war's third year — but that more will likely be needed for Kyiv to regain the offensive.
The aid package will go to the US Senate, which could pass it as soon as Tuesday. U.S. President Joe Biden has promised to sign it immediately.
It still could take weeks for it to reach the front line, where it is desperately needed.
Western leaders applaud decision
The aid package's passing received political support across the West. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said "Ukraine deserves all the support it can get against Russia. Now, we are asking the US Senate to vote as quickly as possible as lives are at stake."
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said that the bill "demonstrates the continued bipartisan support for Ukraine. This significant boost in aid will supplement the aid being provided by European Allies".
Elsewhere, Russia voiced criticism of the decision, with Kremlin's spokesman Dmitriy Peskov claiming that "This will further enrich the United States of America and will bankrupt Ukraine even more".
Flash mob in Prague pushes Estonian plan
Kremlin's spokesman Dmitriy Peskov claimed that "This will further enrich the United States of America and will bankrupt Ukraine even more".
Dozens of volunteers used flags to stage a flash mob in Prague on Sunday, performing the invasion of Ukraine in order to promote the so-called "Estonian plan."
The plan stresses that Western countries can help Ukraine overcome Russia with minimal effort if they come together. Essentially, it believes that if Western countries commit to supporting Ukraine for at least 0.25% of GDP for four years, Ukraine should be able to defeat Russia.
The plan was developed by the Estonian Ministry of Defence, and intended for countries participating in the Ukraine Defence Contact Group.