President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed his gratitude on Thursday for the U.S. aid bill for Ukraine during calls with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Zelenskiy said on X that he had thanked Johnson, a Republican, who had been blocking a vote on the bill, “for his leadership that ensured true bipartisan support for aid to Ukraine”. In a conversation with Schumer, he praised the Democratic Party’s unwavering support.

Biden tells Zelensky US will ‘quickly’ send military aid

The presidential website said Zelenskiy described the situation along the 1,000-km (600-mile) front line of the war and “attacks by the Russian occupiers on civilian infrastructure and the need to boost air defences, notably Patriot systems”.

“The president noted that it is important to send this latest aid package to Ukraine as quickly as possible,” the statement on the website read.

“He noted separately the mention of ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems) in the law, which are very much needed in Ukraine.”