The US House of Representatives on Thursday approved a wide-ranging package of aid for Ukraine and sanctions on Russia while also reaffirming a commitment to the NATO alliance.
The chamber passed the bill, which was introduced by the Democrats, by 226 votes to 195, with the help of almost 20 votes from President Donald Trump's Republican Party.
This increases pressure on Trump, who recently voiced extremely critical views of NATO and had not clearly sided with Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia in February 2022.
The bill still needs approval from the Senate, the other congressional chamber. It will then be sent to Trump to sign, though he could veto it.
The vote puts Trump in a delicate position because, if he vetoes it, he would be opposing numerous colleagues in his party. Recently, Republicans have openly opposed some White House policies just a few months ahead of the November congressional midterm elections when the president's party aims to defend its wafer-thin majorities in both chambers.
Russia urged to withdraw from Ukraine
The bill says the US condemns Russian war crimes in the strongest possible terms. It calls for Russia to immediately and unconditionally withdraw all armed forces from Ukrainian territory including Crimea and the areas of Donetsk and Luhansk in the south-east of the country known as the Donbas.
Any negotiations must also be based on Ukraine's sovereignty and must not be dictated by Russia, it says.
