A new bill has been registered in the US House of Representatives, granting the president expanded powers to assist Ukraine through a lend-lease program.

The legislation, known as H.R.1158, was initiated by Republican Congressman Joe Wilson.

Lend-Lease for Ukraine: A New Initiative in the US Congress

“War criminal Putin only understands the language of power. We must empower President Trump to rapidly and massively supply Ukraine with weapons to force Russia to negotiate. Peace through strength,” stated Wilson.

The bill aims to “provide the President (of the United States) with expanded authority to enter into agreements with the Government of Ukraine for leasing defense equipment to protect civilians in Ukraine from Russian military aggression.”

The text of the bill has not yet been disclosed, and it is unclear what specific assistance it entails.

What is Lend-Lease for Ukraine?

The lend-lease law removes bureaucratic hurdles and allows the US government to quickly provide weapons and other logistical resources to Ukraine or Eastern European governments facing Russian invasion for combat operations.

Similar to the World War II era, the recipient country will only pay for the equipment obtained through lend-lease that it decides to keep after the war.

In January 2022, prior to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Senator John Cornyn introduced a lend-lease bill for Ukraine, co-sponsored by Roger Wicker, Benjamin Cardin, and Jeanne Shaheen.

US House Passes Defense Budget for 2025

Earlier, the lower chamber of the US Congress approved a defense policy bill for 2025 totaling $883.7 billion.

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

This year, the document did not allocate funds for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, as funding for it in 2025 was already set aside in last year's legislation amounting to $300 million.