Approval of US aid to Ukraine prompts EU to provide more active support – European Commission President

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is convinced that the package of aid to Ukraine approved by the US House of Representatives will encourage EU countries to provide more active support.

Ursula von der Leyen said in an interview with Politico that Europe will not slacken its efforts in providing assistance to Kyiv after the House’s decision.

In this context, the European Commission President mentioned her conversation with US President Joe Biden, which took place the day before: "I told President Biden that this decision will encourage Europe to further step up its own military support for Ukraine."

"We will stand with Ukraine, as long as it takes, because it’s the right thing to do. And also because the alternative would endanger our own freedom," emphasised von der Leyen. 

She welcomed the House decision, which is expected to soon be approved by the Senate and signed by Biden, calling it a turning point in the war that will lift the spirits of Ukrainians after months of bad news and setbacks.

"The historic bipartisan decision by the United Stated Congress will have a huge psychological effect and will make a real difference on the battlefield," von der Leyen said, adding that "the renewed support will boost the morale of the entire country."

She noted that Europe has also provided "unprecedented" support to Kyiv.

"This week the European Union and its Member States will already have made available to Ukraine and Ukrainians in Europe assistance worth almost 100 billion euros. And we have already agreed on tens of billion euros more to come in the next years," von der Leyen said.

On 20 April, the US House of Representatives passed a bill on foreign aid for Ukraine. 311 members of the House of Representatives voted in favour of the bill, while 112 voted against it.

The bill will now be submitted to the Senate as an amendment to the Senate bill on foreign aid, HR.815, which was passed in February. This should simplify the procedure for approving the package in the Senate.

US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that US senators will come out of recess to vote on aid to Ukraine on Tuesday, 23 April.