A new bill has been introduced in the US House of Representatives granting the president expanded powers to assist Ukraine through lend-lease measures.

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

Lend-Lease for Ukraine: A New Initiative in Congress

"War criminal Putin understands only the language of power. We must empower President Trump to quickly and massively supply Ukraine with winning weapons to force Russia to the negotiating table. Peace through strength," Wilson stated.

The bill aims to "empower the president (of the USA) to enter agreements with the Ukrainian government to lease defense equipment to protect the civilian population in Ukraine from Russian military invasion."

The text of the bill has not yet been made public. It remains unclear what type of aid the document entails.

What is Lend-Lease for Ukraine?

The lend-lease law eliminates bureaucratic hurdles, allowing the US government to rapidly provide weapons and other supplies to Ukraine or Eastern European governments facing Russian aggression.

Similar to World War II, 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 the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine, Senator John Cornyn introduced a lend-lease bill for Ukraine, co-sponsored by Roger Wicker, Benjamin Cardin, and Jeanne Shaheen.

The US House of Representatives Approves 2025 Defense Budget

Recently, the lower chamber of Congress in the United States approved a defense policy bill for 2025 amounting to $883.7 billion.

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

This year, no funds were allocated in the document for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, as funding for it for 2025 was "front-loaded" in last year's legislation at $300 million.