US House advances Ukraine aid bill, setting up final vote
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The U.S. House of Representatives advanced legislation on June 3 that would provide billions of dollars in military assistance to Ukraine, overcoming opposition from President Donald Trump's administration and setting up a final vote on the measure the following day.
Lawmakers approved a procedural motion by a vote of 218-204, allowing the Ukraine Support Act to move forward despite opposition from Republican leadership. Six Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the measure.
Introduced by Rep. Gregory Meeks, a Democrat from New York and the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the bill would provide $8 billion in military financing for Ukraine, extend the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through 2027, and impose additional sanctions on Russia.
The vote marked the first major Ukraine aid measure to gain significant momentum in Congress since Trump's return to the White House.
The legislation had previously stalled after House Speaker Mike Johnson declined to consider it, reflecting Republican reluctance to continue U.S. support for Ukraine. Republican lawmakers have increasingly sided with Trump on Ukraine, contributing to a softer stance toward Moscow and a more skeptical approach to aid for Kyiv.
U.S. support for Ukraine has fallen sharply since the start of Trump's second term, with American military aid to Kyiv declining by 99% during his first year back in office.
Both on the campaign trail and since returning to office, Trump has repeatedly criticized the amount of money and military equipment invested in Ukraine's defense and has adopted positions that critics say favor Russia.
If approved by the House and Senate and signed into law, the legislation would also allocate funds for Ukraine's postwar reconstruction while increasing economic pressure on Russia through additional sanctions.
