The US House of Representatives has approved a bill for aid to Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.
226 members of the House supported the bill, while 195 voted against it. Among those who voted “in favor” were 18 Republicans, 207 Democrats and one independent.
The bill, introduced last April, proposes the creation of a fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine. It also renews the president's authority to rent or lease defense assets to Ukraine and Eastern European countries, extends the Pentagon's authority to provide security and intelligence assistance to Kiev until the end of 2027, and obliges the State Department to take measures to strengthen the armed forces and border services of the Baltic states.
The bill authorizes the US president to assess the situation in Russian-Ukrainian relations and, based on this analysis, take restrictive measures, including sanctions, blocking assets and imposing additional export duties.
The bill will need approval from the Senate, which has not yet commented on the issue, to enter into force.
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Russia remains a challenge to the United States. He added that Washington sees a threat of escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, believing that the situation has reached a dead end, and announced new sanctions against Moscow.