House Approves Ukraine Aid Amid Republican Defiance
The US House of Representatives has passed legislation aimed at providing aid to Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia, with over a dozen Republicans breaking ranks with their leadership to support the bill.
On Thursday, 18 Republicans joined Democrats in voting for the Ukraine Support Act, which passed by a margin of 226 to 195.
This vote marks another recent instance of Republicans diverging from President Donald Trump's position.
Despite the House approval, the bill faces challenges ahead as it must also pass the Senate and receive President Trump's signature to become law.
Symbolic Vote on Iran Military Action
Earlier in the week, the House held a largely symbolic vote where a small group of Republicans supported a resolution aimed at preventing President Trump from undertaking further military action in Iran.
The Ukraine Support Act proposes more than $1 billion (£745 million) in security and reconstruction assistance and authorizes $8 billion (£6 billion) in financing loans to support Ukraine's defense efforts.
The House was able to bring the measure to a vote on Thursday after Republican proponents of the bill joined Democrats in signing a discharge petition, a procedural move that allows a majority to bypass party leadership.
This development followed the House's passage of the Iran-related resolution, which succeeded after four Republicans joined Democrats in expressing opposition to the prospect of an expanded Iran conflict.
The White House dismissed the resolution, labeling it an unconstitutional attempt to limit presidential authority. Nevertheless, its passage signaled increased pressure on the administration to seek an end to tensions with Iran.
Trump Administration Drops Controversial Fund Plan
The Trump administration recently abandoned plans to establish an "anti-weaponisation" fund after facing strong criticism from both Democrats and some Republicans.
Republicans threatened to obstruct a critical immigration bill if the administration did not withdraw the proposal to allocate public funds to Trump supporters, representing a setback for the president.
Zelensky Calls for Direct Talks with Putin
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed his call for a direct meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an effort to end the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
In an open letter addressed to Putin, Zelensky emphasized the urgency of engagement, stating it would be
"wrong to simply wait"until the conflict again captures US attention, and asserted that peace could only be achieved
"through direct engagement between"the two nations.
Zelensky also requested a full ceasefire during proposed negotiations, a condition Putin rejected earlier that day.
President Trump commented on the possibility of a meeting, saying he thought
"it would be great"if the two leaders convened.
Ceasefire negotiations have stalled in recent months, with previous peace talks held in Geneva, Abu Dhabi, and Istanbul failing to produce results.
Zelensky's letter coincided with Putin's presence in St Petersburg, where a major economic forum was underway.
The day before, Kyiv launched a drone attack on the outskirts of St Petersburg, a strike Zelensky referenced in his letter as
"paying a visit".
Conflict Updates in Crimea and Simferopol
Separately, Russian-backed authorities in occupied Crimea accused Ukraine of causing the deaths of four people in attacks on Simferopol. Ukraine stated it targeted a fuel depot.
