Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked embattled U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson for the passage of $61 billion in aid to his nation, saying it will help everyone from frontline "warriors" to civilians "suffering from Russian terror."
Zelenksyy called the House vote a "very significant one " and expressed gratitude for "everyone who supported our package," adding: "This is a solution for protecting life."
"I personally thank Speaker Mike Johnson and all American hearts who believe, as we do in Ukraine, that Russian evil must not be winning," he said in a message posted on X.
Zelenksy, whose message was accompanied by a 5-minute video clip in Ukrainian, also noted: "Our warriors on the front lines, as well as our cities and villages suffering from Russian terror, will feel it."
Zelenskyy praised the U.S. for having "demonstrated its leadership since the first days of this war," which began when Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
"Exactly this type of leadership is required to maintain a rules-based international order and predictability for all nations," Zelenskyy wrote.
Today, we received the awaited decision on the US aid package that we long fought for. And a very significant one. Our warriors on the front lines, as well as our cities and villages suffering from Russian terror, will feel it.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 20, 2024
The U.S. House of Representatives voted on it… pic.twitter.com/G6z3PxsOMg
The Ukrainian aid bill passed with overwhelming, bipartisan support, 311-112, although a majority of Republicans were opposed, 112-101, noted Reuters.
Johnson, of Louisiana, will likely face a push now to oust him from the speaker's chair by fellow Republicans led by Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who last month introduced a measure to remove him over the passage of a $1.2 billion in spending to avoid a partial government shutdown.
Other bills approved during the rare Saturday session would provide military aid to Israel and Taiwan, and humanitarian aid for Gaza, and would also force the the popular Chinese-owned social media website TikTok to be sold or be banned in the U.S.
The Senate is expected to begin voting on the bills on Tuesday, and President Joe Biden has vowed to immediately sign them into law following their anticipated passage.
