Following a passage of a bill to avoid a government shutdown, top U.S. Senate leaders issued a rare bipartisan statement affirming their commitment to Ukraine.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and representatives of the appropriations committees said they expect the Senate will work "to ensure the U.S. government continues to provide critical and sustained security and economic support for Ukraine."

"We support Ukraine’s efforts to defend its sovereignty against (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s brazen aggression, and we join a strong bipartisan majority of our colleagues in this essential work," reads the statement. "With the eyes of our partners, allies, and adversaries upon us, we keenly understand the importance of American leadership and are committed to strengthening it from Europe to the Indo-Pacific."

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Sept. 30 that he welcomed congressional measures taken to avert "an unnecessary and destructive government shutdown that would have had a profound impact on the lives our troops and civilians who work and sacrifice to defend this country every day," according to ABC News.

Austin urged Congress to commit to providing aid for Ukraine. "America must live up to its word and continue to lead," Austin said.

US House of Representatives passes funding bill to avoid government shutdown

NBC News reported on Sept. 30 that the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bipartisan funding bill to avoid a government shutdown but that the deal currently lacks additional defense aid for Ukraine.

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk