President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives on Thursday, asking Mike Johnson to pass a bill for a new military aid package for Kyiv to maintain international unity in the fight against Russian aggression.
For months, Republican Speaker Mike Johnson has been blocking a bill that would provide $60 billion in military and financial aid to Ukraine.
“Prompt congressional approval of U.S. aid to Ukraine is vital. We recognize that there are different views in the House of Representatives on how to proceed, but the key is to keep the issue of aid to Ukraine as a unifying factor,” Zelenskyy said in his platform X message.
In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said he told Johnson that Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities “are increasing and can only be stopped physically, by air defense forces.”
“And it is very important that Congress maintains its leadership, that the defense of freedom remains an idea that unites people within our countries and in most countries of the world,” Zelensky added.
Ukrainian troops are in a difficult situation on the battlefield, facing a shortage of artillery ammunition due to the delay of American aid in Congress and the inability of the European Union to deliver the previously promised ammunition in time.
On Thursday, Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi discussed the situation on the frontlines with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Brown.
The telegram channel says that Syrsky discussed with Brown “issues of vital American assistance for Ukraine,” including strengthening defenses against Russian air attacks and building fortifications.
Last Friday, Russia conducted the largest air attack on Ukraine’s power grid since its February 2022 invasion, damaging power units at a major dam, causing power outages for more than a million people.
Moscow has described its recent attacks as “retaliation” for Ukrainian strikes on Russian regions. Russia has increased the use of ballistic missiles, which are the most difficult to shoot down. Moscow denies that the attacks are deliberately targeting civilians, although many civilians have been killed in the strikes.
