A new bill has been introduced in the United States House of Representatives that allows the President to gain additional powers for providing lend-lease support to Ukraine.

The document H.R.1158 was initiated by Republican Congressman Joe Wilson.

Lend-Lease for Ukraine: A New Proposal in Congress

“War criminal Putin understands only the language of power. We must grant President Trump the authority to quickly and massively supply Ukraine with the weaponry needed to force Russia to the negotiating table. Peace through strength,” Wilson stated.

The bill aims to “provide the President (of the US) with expanded authority to enter into agreements with the government of Ukraine for leasing defense equipment to protect civilians in Ukraine from Russian military aggression.”

The text of the bill has yet to be made public. It is unclear what specific assistance this document entails.

What is Lend-Lease for Ukraine?

The lend-lease law eliminates bureaucratic hurdles and enables the US government to quickly provide weapons and other logistical resources to Ukraine or Eastern European countries facing Russian incursions.

Similar to the World War II years, the recipient country will only pay for the equipment received under lend-lease that it decides to keep after the war.

In January 2022, prior to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Senator John Cornyn introduced a lend-lease bill for Ukraine, co-sponsored by Roger Wicker, Benjamin Cardin, and Jeanne Shaheen.

US House Passes Defense Budget 2025

Earlier, the lower chamber of the US Congress passed a defense policy bill for the year 2025 amounting to $883.7 billion.

The approved defense budget for 2025 does not include provisions for potential lend-lease to Ukraine.

This year, no funds were allocated for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, as the financing for 2025 was previously set at $300 million in last year's legislation.