Zelenskyy’s comments come after he warned last week that no more US aid would mean a Russian victory in the war that recently entered its third year.
“I can honestly tell you that without this support we have no chance of winning,” Zelenskyy said during an interview on PBS NewsHour last week.
Celebrating the funding on Sunday, Zelenskyy also emphasized Ukraine’s need for aid to “end up in tangible weapons systems,” including long-range missiles and air defense.
“We need long-range weapons so as not to lose people on the front lines,” Zelenskyy said. Ukraine, Zelenskyy acknowledged, has suffered losses “in different directions” in recent months, especially in the eastern part of the country.
“And that’s why we actually need the weapon systems. If we get it, if we have it in our arms, then we have the opportunity to take this initiative and move forward and protect Ukraine,” he added.