House approves $61 billion in military aid for Ukraine, much to the chagrin of Russia

The U.S. House of Representatives approved $61 billion of military aid for Ukraine to help in its defense against Russia, after months of stalling. Billions were also allocated to allies like Israel and Taiwan.

In a bipartisan vote, 210 Democrats and 101 Republicans opted to support Ukraine, while a majority of GOP members, 112 Republicans, voted against it. This came about following Republican speaker Mike Johnson’s push for a series of bills, in the face of opposition from his own party— members of whom do not want to send any more money to Ukraine’s defense. 

“The House erupted into applause when the Ukraine bill passed, with the chair, Marc Molinaro of New York, admonishing members not to wave Ukrainian flags,” The Guardian reported. 

On Tuesday, the Senate will begin considering the House-passed bill, leaning on preliminary votes that afternoon. The final passage will be confirmed next week and be ready for President Biden to sign.

Ukraine has been struggling with ammunition and air defense shortages while Russia bore down with its advantage in firepower, all while Congress deliberated. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, had recently claimed that his country “will lose the war,” without U.S. assistance.

Right after the bill passed, Ukraine’s president took to X to make a statement expressing his gratitude and personally thanking Johnson “for the decision that keeps history on the right track.”

The Kremlin, responding to the news with anger, warns that it will lead to the “deaths of even more Ukrainians.” With Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and current deputy chairman of Russia’s security council, issuing a statement obtained from Newsweek saying, “I cannot, with all sincerity, not wish the United States to plunge into a new civil war as quickly as possible.”