Aid to Ukraine and new sanctions against Russia: what the new US bill provides
Фото: ОП
The Lower House of the US Congress has passed a bill that provides for the introduction of a 500% tariff on Russian goods, strengthening sanctions against the Russian Federation, and increasing military aid to Ukraine.
This is reported by The Hill.
The document was supported by 226 congressmen, 195 opposed. Among those who voted “in favor” – 207 Democrats, 18 Republicans and one independent congressman. To enter into force, the bill must be approved by the US Senate.
The document was authored by Gregory Meeks , the senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The bill authorizes the US leadership to assess the state of Russian-American relations and introduce appropriate restrictions.
These include sanctions against financial institutions, oil and mining companies in Russia, property and visa restrictions on Russian officials, as well as an increase in duties on all Russian goods and services imported into the United States, up to 500% of their value.
At the same time, the document is unlikely to be considered in the Republican-controlled Senate, where Majority Leader John Thune supports the policies of Donald Trump .
It is known that support for aid to Ukraine remains limited among Republicans. This is evidenced by the fact that fewer Republicans voted for the bill than, for example, during the vote on the Ukraine aid package in April 2024.
In the House of Representatives, Republicans opposed the document, calling it outdated and politically motivated and likely to deepen divisions within the Republican Party.
In particular, Meeks stated that the fastest way to end the war in Ukraine is to help the country gain stronger positions on the battlefield and force Russia to come to the negotiating table from a position that is disadvantageous to it.
“This bill was supposed to go through the normal review process, but unfortunately, my requests to consider legislative initiatives regarding Russia have been regularly denied. The Republican leadership opposed this bill and repeatedly blocked bipartisan efforts to hold Russia accountable,” Meeks emphasized.
Previously, “Pryamiy” reported that Volodymyr Zelenskyy published an open letter to Vladimir Putin , in which he called on the Russian leader to end the war and proposed a personal meeting.
The US may also soon announce the allocation of $400 million in military aid to Ukraine , which was previously approved by Congress but was delayed due to internal procedures at the Pentagon.
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