Hot and cold support
While many members of Congress from both parties strongly supported Ukraine in the first years after the start of the war in February 2022, some of Trump’s closest Republican allies — including House and Senate leadership — have grown cooler towards Kiev since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.
The president has also kept decisions on sanctions at the White House, not Congress, since starting his second term.
US aid to the Kiev government has slowed sharply even as Russia and Ukraine have been pummeling each other with missiles, drones and artillery.
Peace talks are stalled, with Ukraine rejecting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demand that it surrender territory it has successfully defended since 2022.
The Ukraine Support Act includes measures to help Ukraine rebuild after the war, authorises more than $1 billion in assistance for Kiev, and up to $8 billion in support via direct loans.
It also imposes stiff sanctions and export controls on Russia, including on financial institutions, oil and mining and Russian officials.
