The US House of Representatives has approved legislation to give aid to Ukraine and impose sanctions against Russia, with more than a dozen Republicans defying their leadership to vote in favour of the bill.
Some 18 Republicans joined Democrats to back the Ukraine Support Act on Thursday, which passed in a 226 to 195 vote.
It’s the latest instance of Republicans breaking from President Donald Trump recently.
However, it’s unlikely the bill will become law, as it must also be passed by the Senate and then gain Trump’s signature.
In a largely symbolic vote earlier this week, a handful of Republicans in the House backed a resolution seeking to stop Trump from taking further military action in Iran.
The Ukraine Support Act would provide more than $1 billion (£745 million) in security and reconstruction aid, and would authorize $8 billion (£6 billion) in financing loans for Ukraine’s defense operations.
The House was able to force a vote on the measure Thursday after Republican supporters of the bill joined Democrats in signing a discharge petition that essentially allows a majority to circumvent leadership.
It comes a day after the House passed a measure that sought to halt Trump from taking further military action in Iran, in a largely symbolic vote.
That vote was successful after four Republicans joined Democrats in a public show of disapproval of the Iran war.
The White House dismissed the merits of that resolution, saying it is an unconstitutional attempt to restrict presidential power. But its passing was significant because it adds to the pressure on the White House to find an end to the Iran War.
The Trump administration also dropped its plans to create an “anti-weaponisation” fund, after strong criticism from Democrats and some Republicans this week.
In a blow to the president, Republicans threatened to derail a critical immigration bill if the administration didn’t drop the plan to give public funds to Trump supporters.
Earlier on Thursday, Volodymyr Zelensky called for a face-to-face meeting between himself and Vladimir Putin in a renewed bid to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
In an open letter to the Russian president, the Ukrainian leader said it would be “wrong to simply wait” until the war in Europe becomes the focus of the US’s attention once more, adding peace could only come “through direct engagement between” Ukraine and Russia.
He also called for a full ceasefire for the duration of proposed negotiations – something Putin ruled out earlier on Thursday.
Trump said on Thursday he thought “it would be great” if the two leaders met.
Ceasefire negotiations have stalled in recent months, and previous peace talks in Geneva, Abu Dhabi and Istanbul have failed.
The Ukrainian president’s letter came on the same day Putin was in St Petersburg, where a major economic forum is taking place.
The previous day Kyiv had launched a drone attack on the city’s outskirts, a strike mentioned in Zelensky’s message as “paying a visit”.
Separately Russian-backed authorities in occupied Crimea blamed Ukraine for the death of four people in attacks on Simferopol. Ukraine said it had hit a fuel depot.
By BBC News
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
