A group of House GOP members who visited Ukraine this week have pledged to consider a list of key weapons and other necessities during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr

Zelensky. The meeting was held on the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion and highlights the divide within the Republican Party on how to handle US involvement in the war moving forward. This divide has only deepened since the GOP took over the House majority in January. The meeting also took place as President Joe Biden faces increasing pressure to supply the Ukrainians with more advanced weaponry to help them win the war.

During the meeting, Zelensky told the group he planned to send them a list of weapons, including F-16 fighter jets, that he believes are necessary to speed up the end of the war with Russia. A top US military commander reiterated to a group of Republican lawmakers how imperative F-16 fighter jets and longer-range missiles would be to serve the Ukrainian cause.

House Foreign Affairs committee chairman Michael McCaul, who was part of the delegation, stated that there is broad bipartisan support to give Ukraine everything it needs to win. However, this position may become increasingly untenable as upcoming spending fights, congressional hearings, and the 2024 presidential race place the question of whether to add to the $113 billion the US has already sent Ukraine front and center, and as some Republicans push back on the prospect of additional aid.

Several GOP lawmakers are already preparing for such a battle and are privately gaming out how to fend off opposition within their own party. Behind the scenes, a plan is starting to take shape among the Republicans who view Ukraine's ultimate victory as the only path forward. They plan to ramp up pressure on Biden to send weapons like F-16 fighter jets and longer-range missiles while tamping down their party's opposition by using the House's majority to spotlight Russia's war atrocities.

The meeting between the House GOP members and Zelensky underscores the deep divisions within the Republican Party on how to handle US involvement in the war in Ukraine. While some outspoken Republican lawmakers threaten to block future aid to Ukraine, a small group of House GOP members has pledged to consider a list of key weapons and other necessities to help Ukraine win the war with Russia. The position of the House GOP members is in line with a broad, bipartisan support to give Ukraine everything it needs to win, but the upcoming spending fights, congressional hearings, and the 2024 presidential race could make this position increasingly difficult to maintain. Photo by President.gov.ua, Wikimedia commons.