US House passes bill to aid Kiev, imposes sanctions on Russia

The US House of Representatives on Thursday passed legislation that would block aid to Ukraine and impose new sanctions on the Russian economy.

The Ukraine Aid Act includes measures to help Ukraine rebuild after the war with more than $1 billion (860 million euros) in aid and up to $8 billion in direct loans. It also imposes sanctions and export controls on Russian financial institutions, oil companies and officials.

The move is another sign that Republican representatives are willing to disregard the party line to push back against US President Donald Trump.

In the House, 226 votes were cast against 195 in favor of the bill. Republicans have a slim majority in it, meaning more than a dozen of them voted with Democrats to advance the bill. It came just a day after the House passed a resolution, with some Republican support, to limit Trump’s powers in the Iran war.

The division among otherwise united Republicans comes just months before crucial US midterm elections that could be seen as a referendum on Trump’s war in Iran.

What does this mean for Ukraine?

Not much.

The future of the Ukraine Support Act remains uncertain.

The proposal now must be approved by the Senate, where Republicans also have a slim majority. If the Senate were to pass the measure, Trump would be expected to veto it, making it a largely symbolic move.

When Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine four years ago, American politicians from both parties were strongly supportive of Ukraine. However, many of Trump’s allies have become increasingly indifferent to Kiev in his second term in the White House.

As a result, US aid to Ukraine has slowed dramatically.

In an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was ready to meet face-to-face and detangle Ukraine “through direct engagement between us.”

“Ukraine is ready for a complete ceasefire for the duration of the negotiations,” he said in the letter published on the website of the Ukrainian presidential office.

Zelensky has reached out directly to Putin on a few occasions since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in 2022, with the Ukrainian leader saying Russians were tired of the conflict, and warning that Ukraine would “continue to fight for its survival” if Putin “does not personally come to the conclusion that it is time to end this war”.

Zelensky’s letter comes as Putin told the heads of international news agencies at the St. Petersburg economic conference on Thursday that Russia still holds the upper hand in the war.

Read DW’s full coverage of the letter here.

Good morning! And welcome to DW’s Ukraine blog.

The lower house of the US Congress has passed the Ukraine Support Act with some Republican support, as US politicians express their displeasure ahead of key midterm elections. The vote is largely symbolic and the act is unlikely to pass the Senate and then-US President Donald Trump’s desk.

Ukraine and Hungary reached an agreement on long-standing ethnic minority issues between the two countries. The agreement will boost Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union as Budapest will lift its veto on the matter.

Kiev is campaigning to formally join the European Union, partly to strengthen its defenses against the full-scale Russian invasion that began four years ago.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Zelensky has proposed meeting face-to-face with Vladimir Putin in an open letter to the Russian leader and ending the war through direct negotiations.

Zelensky’s letter comes as Putin told the heads of international news agencies at the St. Petersburg economic conference on Thursday that Russia still holds the upper hand in the war.

All this while the two countries continue to exchange drones and missiles.