US Congress introduces large-scale bill in support of Ukraine and with increased sanctions against russia

In the US House of Representatives, representatives of the Democratic Party have submitted a bill that provides for increased support for Ukraine, as well as tough sanctions against russia due to its armed aggression. This is reported by Reuters, citing sources in the American legislative body.

The legislative initiative was introduced by Democratic Congressman Greg Meeks, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

This bill provides for both security and financial assistance to Ukraine, as well as the introduction of strict restrictions against russia, the authors of the document, which was reviewed by Reuters journalists, noted.

The initiative was a continuation of pressure on the administration of US President Donald Trump, which Democrats are calling for more active support for Ukraine. One of the legislators said in a comment to the agency: "The bill obviously will be part of the legislative conversation."

The bill was submitted two weeks after representatives of both parties submitted another document in the Senate with tough sanctions against the russian federation, which would come into force if Moscow refused to participate in good faith peace negotiations.

Key provisions of the new bill:

The bill consists of three sections and, according to analysts, provides for significantly deeper support for Ukraine than previous initiatives in the Senate:

• The first section records political support for Ukraine and NATO. Among other things, it is proposed to create the position of a special coordinator for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
• The second section includes security assistance measures for Kyiv, including direct loans and military financing.
• The third section provides for tough sanctions and export controls on Russia. In particular, it concerns financial institutions, the energy and mining sectors, as well as individual officials of the russian government.

Congressional aides who worked on the document noted that even if the bill is not passed in full, its key provisions could be included in the final large aid package for Ukraine.

Recall, US President Donald Trump extended the sanctions that Biden imposed against russia from 2021.

On April 15, 2021, by Executive Order No. 14024, Biden declared a state of emergency in order to overcome the threat posed by the malign activities of the russian government.

On March 8, 2022, Biden issued Executive Order No. 14066, which expanded the scope of the state of emergency, after which several more executive orders were issued that expanded the sanctions against russia.