KYIV — Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky has invited the Russian president for a face-to-face meeting between himself in a renewed bid to end the war. In an open letter to Vladimir Putin, the Ukrainian president said it would be “wrong to simply wait” until the war in Europe becomes the focus of the US’s attention once more, adding peace could only come “through direct engagement between” Ukraine and Russia. He also called for a full ceasefire for the duration of proposed negotiations, something Putin ruled out earlier on Thursday. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he thought “it would be great” if the two leaders met. The Kremlin confirmed it had received the letter. The tone of the letter was defiant, even mocking, drawing attention to Ukraine’s recent strikes on Russian territory. Zelensky stated that “after 26 years in power, age is beginning to take its toll” on Putin. Meanwhile, the US House of Represntatives passed legislation Thursday that would aid Ukraine and sanction key segments of the Russian economy, overriding objections from Republican leaders who warned the bill would undermine negotiations designed to achieve a comparable but stronger result. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., seeks to cement US assistance for Ukraine by providing more than $1 billion in security and reconstruction aid. It would make another $8 billion available for Ukraine’s defense through loans. The 226-195 vote is a sign of impatience with President Donald Trump’s approach to the war and represents the House’s second major foreign policy break with Trump this week. The day before, the House, for the first time, approved a war powers resolution aimed at halting US military action against Iran. Supporters were able to force action on the Ukraine bill by gathering 218 signatures on a discharge petition, a legislative tool that allows a majority of the House to effectively bypass leadership. Meeks said the question before the House was simple. Would it help Ukraine negotiate from a position of strength or help Russia outlast American resolve? “We all want this war to end,” Meeks said. “The question is how. Will we abandon Ukraine and force it into a terrible deal? That is what Vladimir Putin is counting on. Or will this body live up to the commitments we’ve made since the start of this war?” The vast majority of Republicans opposed the measure. Rep. French Hill, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said he is a steadfast supporter of Ukraine. However, the Arkansas Republican said the House was confronted with a flawed, outdated measure that actually calls for less funding for Ukraine security assistance compared to what Congress had agreed to as part of this year’s defense policy. Rep. Brian Mast, the chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, said he believed the bill was “a cudgel to fight against President Trump.” “This bill, in my opinion, is an unserious bill that was crafted basically a year-and-a-half ago,” Mast, R-Fla., said.
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