▲ The US Capitol
A bill to support Ukraine and impose harsh sanctions on Russia passed the U.S. House of Representatives on June 4 (local time).
Eighteen lawmakers from the ruling Republican Party openly defied President Donald Trump's foreign policy and voted in favor of the Ukraine support bill.
The House passed the bill by a vote of 226 to 195, Reuters and CNN reported.
The bill authorizes the sale of $8 billion (12.3 trillion won) worth of weapons to Ukraine and extends the lend-lease program established during the Joe Biden administration.
It also includes strict sanctions against the Russian leadership, institutions, major banks, and oil and mining companies.
It imposes a 500% tariff on all Russian imports and bans imports of Russian crude oil.
The bill had been stalled for months, but it cleared the House after being brought to the floor for a vote.
This was because some Republican lawmakers joined forces with Democrats to sign a discharge petition for the Ukraine support bill.
A discharge petition is a procedure that allows a specific bill to be voted on in the plenary session without committee review.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson urged Republican lawmakers to reject the bill during a closed-door meeting before the vote, arguing that President Trump should be given room to negotiate with Russia, but 18 broke ranks with leadership to vote in favor.
The day before, a resolution limiting President Trump's war powers passed the House.
The Democrat-led resolution, which controls the president's authority to wage war with Iran without congressional approval, passed the House with the help of Republican defectors.
Reuters analyzed the passage of the Ukraine support bill as "another blow to President Trump" and "the latest sign of a rift in a Republican Party that had been virtually unanimous on Trump's policies."
CNN reported that "Republican lawmakers defied party leadership and President Trump," calling it a "rebellion over Trump's stance on the war in Ukraine."
However, the future of the Ukraine support bill, which passed the House, remains uncertain.
Republican Senate leadership has taken the position that they will not allow a vote on the bill and will wait for instructions from President Trump.
Even if it passes the Senate, President Trump is highly likely to veto the bill, Reuters reported.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.