Many political leaders reacted to the US House passage of the national security supplemental legislation. Most of them expressed how important it is for global security.
The United States Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin, also welcomed the passage of the bill, which will help the Department of Defense support Ukraine and Israel. According to him, this will also bolster security in the Indo-Pacific and be a sign that the US stands firm with allies and partners around the world.
Austin also emphasized that this legislation is a significant investment in America’s future; $50 billion flows directly into American defense industry companies. So it will create jobs in more than 30 states. Austin concluded that this legislation will make America more secure and save lives. “We must never give our friends, our rivals, or our foes any reason to doubt America’s resolve,” stated the Secretary of Defense.
In his turn, Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, expressed that the decision will make Europe and North America safer. He added, “I welcome that the U.S. House of Representatives has approved a major new package of aid to Ukraine. Ukraine is using the weapons provided by NATO allies to destroy Russian combat capabilities.”.
Andrzej Duda, the Polish President, wrote in his X that he is grateful to Speaker Mike Johnson for the US House of Representatives’ approval of the aid package for Ukraine. Duda emphasized that this is a critical decision that will help stop Russian aggression. “It’s a clear confirmation of US leadership among all the countries of the free world,” he wrote.
The German Foreign Affairs Minister, Annalena Baerbock, welcomed the voting and wrote that “the hearts of Ukraine’s most important supporters are beating in unison again.” According to her, the USA and Europe stand together on the side of freedom—against Putin’s war of terror. She added, “This is a day of optimism for Ukraine and European security.”.
Bill Browder, a British businessman and human rights activist, also commented on the topic, stating that the US Congress has cleared the bottleneck for Ukraine’s military aid. “A critical day for the civilized world and democracy, but a bad day for Putin,” he wrote in his X.
Josep Borrell, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, also backed the legislation, stating that now Ukraine will have the transatlantic support it needs to stand up to Russian aggression.
The President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, welcomed the positive vote by the US House of Representatives. “Ukraine deserves all the support it can get against Russia,” wrote von der Leyen. Von der Leyen also expressed her hope for unity among transatlantic allies in support of freedom and democracy.
Guy Verhofstadt, a member of the European Parliament, stressed that US approval of Ukraine’s aid shouldn’t lead to complacency. “The opposite should galvanize Europeans to immediately do our part in delivering Patriots and promised ammunition!” the politician stated.
