One year after Russia invaded Ukraine and 12 months of death, destruction, and sacrifice, the war has tested the country and its allies, including President Joe Biden .

But Biden's decisions regarding the conflict, already criticized by Democrats and Republicans alike, are poised to come under even more scrutiny during a divided Congress as Ukraine prepares for intensified fighting this spring.

Biden's botched Afghanistan drawdown "bruised" the president's reputation, with Russia's war in Ukraine an unfortunate opportunity to make amends, according to former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor.

"I think he learned from that, and, if anything, it made him more determined to exercise leadership and make difficult decisions," Taylor told the Washington Examiner of Biden. "The difference between President Biden's leadership on Ukraine and his leadership on Afghanistan is stark, is dramatic, and he's proven to be an incredible wartime leader — as, by the way, has [Ukrainian] President [Volodymyr] Zelensky ."

For Taylor, the top diplomat to Ukraine for former Presidents George W. Bush , Barack Obama , and Donald Trump , the most pressing issue the alliance of roughly 50 countries will face during the next two months will be to deploy "the equipment, the weapons, the ammunition to Ukraine in a hurry" as Russia withdraws from its nuclear nonproliferation treaty with the United States.

"What we have in stock, what we have available needs to get to the Ukrainians within the next two months so that they, the Ukrainians, can take the initiative and conduct a decisive attack back on the Russian soldiers and the Russian army and the Russian military in Ukraine," he said.

Yet although some Republicans oppose the $76.8 billion that has been spent on Ukraine since the start of the war, including another $500 million package announced this week with more sanctions to come Friday, others, such as House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), contend Biden's response has been languid as Ukrainians ask for F-16s.

"Every time this administration has delayed sending Ukraine a critical weapons system, from Stingers to HIMARS to Bradleys, over fears of Russian escalation, they have been proven completely and utterly wrong," he said. "Instead, these cowardly decisions, based on misguided fears of escalation, are prolonging this war, emboldening Russia, and condemning thousands of Ukrainians to horrific war crimes, other atrocities, and even death.”

Like many Republicans, Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO), Bush's ambassador to Luxembourg, disagreed with Biden's overall approach to Ukraine, arguing the president could have done more to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from invading in the first place.

"Putin understands only strength and weakness, and President Biden’s vague allusions to economic countermeasures that could be imposed after an invasion sent a dangerously ambiguous message — as did his decision to withdraw U.S. forces engaged in training their Ukrainian counterparts," she said.

Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY), another member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, similarly asserted Biden’s "laundry list" of mistakes, including waiving Nord Stream II sanctions, "paved the way for Putin’s aggression." Barr urged Secretary of State Antony Blinken , Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin , and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley to resign.

"It’s no coincidence that Putin annexed Crimea during the Obama-Biden administration and now is attempting to overrun the rest of Ukraine with Biden in the Oval Office," he said. "Thugs like Putin and [Chinese President] Xi [Jinping] detect a historically weak president who has presided over a foreign policy that delivered humiliating surrender in Afghanistan, [which] led to the deaths of 13 heroic American service members, and allowed Chinese Communist Party spy balloons to transport across large portions of the United States, threatening commercial aircraft and conducting surveillance of sensitive military sites."

For Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA), a U.S. Marine Corps and Navy veteran, "the American people have ensured that Putin’s war drains Russia’s military and economy and is destined for failure" at "relatively little cost" to the U.S.

"At the same time, it would be even better if we could send Ukraine the billions of dollars worth of top-notch military equipment that Joe Biden abandoned in Afghanistan," he said. "Here’s hoping his administration does a better job of standing by our allies this time.”

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) also expressed concerns about Biden's "as long as it takes" exit strategy from Ukraine, comparing the war to that in Vietnam, particularly after Afghanistan.

"I would like to see some accounting of our money that we've sent over there," he said. "I think we need the other countries, especially countries in Europe, to know that America is not your bank account."

Looking forward, Wagner stopped short of Barr's demands and instead called for "proper oversight and transparency" while emphasizing the importance of not permitting Putin further into Ukraine "before he advances into NATO countries, Article 5 is triggered, and U.S. troops are put at risk."

"We must continue to address head-on threats to our national security both at home and abroad," she said. "A weak or wavering response by the United States empowers adversaries like China, Iran, and North Korea."

The White House , too, projected optimism about its working relationship with Republicans related to Ukraine before Biden's G-7 virtual leaders meeting Friday.

"We have seen bipartisan support when it comes to Ukraine aid, when you look at the support in Congress," press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. "We're providing military security and economic support to Ukrainians to fight for their freedom. We think it's an important thing to do."