Kiev expects the billions in military aid approved by the US will bolster its defence against Moscow while a Russian UN representative warns the funds will "be pocketed" and "tens of thousands of Ukrainians will go to the meat grinder."
On Saturday, the US House of Representatives voted to move a long-delayed aid package worth nearly $61 billion for Ukraine to the Senate, where it is expected to pass and be signed by President Joe Biden.
Russia's deputy ambassador to the United Nations in New York, Dmitry Polyansky, wrote on Sunday that there is "nothing to celebrate here."
He wrote that the war would continue and "more money will be pocketed, more weapons stolen and tens of thousands of Ukrainians will go to the meat grinder." He added that Ukraine's defeat was "inevitable."
Ukraine, which is striving to join the European Union and NATO, has been defending itself against a Russian invasion with massive Western support for more than two years.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Facebook that around $50 billion of the package would be spent on Ukraine's defence. This means more weapons for Ukraine, including more air defence and longer-range projectiles.
Another $7.8 billion are earmarked to support Ukraine's national budget. In turn, $1.57 billion are planned as economic aid and $400 million for border protection and demining, according to Shmyhal.
The money will also be used to finance the restoration of important infrastructure, he said. The country's energy facilities have frequently been targets of Russian missile and drone attacks.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on X, formerly Twitter, about the US decision that it was: "A bad day for Putin. A bad day for anyone who dared to believe that America could waver when it comes to defending what and who it stands for."
