Democrats in the US House of Representatives introduced new legislation on 14 April aimed at bolstering support for Ukraine and sanctioning Russia to pressure US President Donald Trump’s administration to back Kyiv, Reuters reports, citing “sources familiar with the effort.”

Representative Greg Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, filed the Ukraine Support Act, a bill seen by Reuters. It proposes security and reconstruction funding for Ukraine, along with sweeping sanctions on Russia’s financial institutions, energy and mining sectors, and government officials.

The bill was filed two weeks after a bipartisan group of senators introduced similar legislation that would trigger sanctions against Russia if it fails to enter peace negotiations in good faith. Congressional aides told Reuters that parts of the new House bill could be incorporated into any final Ukraine package, even if the bill itself does not advance in the Republican-led House.

The House bill is structured in three parts: the first reaffirms US support for Ukraine and NATO, with provisions for post-war reconstruction and a special coordinator for recovery; the second offers direct loans and military aid; the third imposes sanctions and export controls on key sectors of Russia’s economy.

The legislative push gained urgency following a deadly missile strike in Sumy on 13 April 2025. According to Ukrainian officials, two Russian ballistic missiles struck the city center as residents attended Palm Sunday church services. The attack killed 34 people and wounded 117, many of them civilians. Russia’s defense ministry claimed the strike targeted Ukrainian commanding officers.

Reuters notes that although bipartisan support for Ukraine persists, Trump’s closest Republican allies have grown increasingly reluctant since taking control of the House in 2023 and later the White House and Senate in January 2025.