US House of Representatives defies Trump, backs new military aid for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia
The US House of Representatives backed a bill to allocate $1 billion in new military aid to Ukraine and impose new sanctions against Russia. The vote was made possible by Democrats joining forces with some Republicans, who defied the White House and Speaker Mike Johnson.
Censor.NET reports this, citing Fox News. The document will be submitted to the US Senate for consideration on Thursday, 4 June.
The Democrat-initiated bill passed a procedural vote with 218 votes in favor and 204 against. To advance the initiative, members of Congress used a rare and complex parliamentary maneuver: a discharge petition to bring the document to a vote, bypassing the relevant committee and the will of the party leadership.
Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick, Don Bacon, and Kevin Kiley openly crossed party lines by signing the petition. Overall, the document was supported by all Democratic members of Congress present and seven members of the Republican caucus, demonstrating a serious split and open resistance to Republican Party leaders.
What the bill provides for
- Defense support: allocation of more than $1 billion in emergency new military aid for Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
- Official confirmation of unwavering US support for Ukraine and NATO.
- Introduction of a package of new sanctions against Moscow and any international organizations that provide financial or technical support for its military actions, if the Kremlin continues its war against Ukraine.
- Establishment of mechanisms to finance Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction.
Position of aid supporters
"This is our opportunity to provide leverage that could prove decisive in ending this conflict on acceptable terms in a way that prevents future Russian aggression. It is time for Congress to assert itself. Right now, we are seeing only further brutality from Russia, and so I believe that if Congress steps in constructively, it could become a decisive lever," California Congressman Kevin Kiley said.
His colleague, South Carolina Republican Joe Wilson, who also supported advancing the bill, spoke even more sharply:
"It is simply inconceivable that we would not impose additional sanctions against cooperation with Putin. We must stand again and again with the courageous people of Ukraine. We must stop what Putin is doing, namely attempts to revive the Soviet Union."
Uncertainty in the Senate
The entire senior leadership of the Republican Party strongly opposed the bill’s adoption. Opponents of aid to Kyiv claim that the pro-Ukrainian bill is allegedly "poorly drafted" and "undermines the efforts of Donald Trump’s administration to end the years-long conflict."
The document’s further prospects remain unclear. In the Senate, where Republicans hold the majority, similar bipartisan sanctions initiatives against Russia have been blocked for more than a year.
In addition, US analysts predict that even if the bill successfully passes the Senate, President Donald Trump will almost certainly formally veto it once the document reaches his desk.
