US Temporary Funding Act Does Not Include Aid to Kyiv, President Zelensky: Nothing Can Weaken Ukraine

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a speech released Sunday that nothing could weaken his country's fight against the Russian invasion, a day after the US Congress passed a temporary funding bill, but it did not include aid to Ukraine.

In his recorded speech marking the Defenders Day holiday, President Zelensky reiterated his determination to fight for victory.

Nothing can "weaken" Ukraine's stability, resilience, strength, and courage, he said, echoing a Ukrainian verb often used to refer to power outages caused by Russian attacks, reported by Reuters, October 2.

He added that Ukraine will only stop resisting and fighting on the day of victory.

"As we get closer every day, we say, 'We will fight as long as possible,'" President Zelensky said.

Separately, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said he had received confirmation of the continuation of Uncle Sam's military assistance in a telephone call with Defense Minister Lloyd Austin.

"Secretary Austin assured me," he wrote in a post on X, that US support for Ukraine "will continue" and "Ukrainian fighters will continue to have strong support on the battlefield."

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said Kyiv was working with its American partners to ensure the new budget decision would include funds for the country, and that US support remained intact.

Nikolenko also sought to reassure Ukrainians of future US support in comments on Facebook, stressing that previously approved funds would not be affected.

"Support for Ukraine remains strong in the US Administration, both in the party and in the US Congress, and most importantly, among the American people," he wrote.

Earlier, President Joe Biden said on Sunday that Republicans had promised to provide aid to Ukraine through a separate vote, with US support for Ukraine unstoppable under any circumstances.