Republicans in Congress are starting to strongly oppose Donald Trump's shift away from supporting Ukraine's president. They're warning that they won't accept any compromises with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The real question is whether their opposition will make a difference. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania criticised Trump's recent attacks on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a post on X on Thursday, stating that both party lawmakers were "ready, willing, and able to do whatever it takes to prevent Communist Dictator Vladimir Putin from being rewarded for his illegal invasion." “We will use every lever and every vote at our disposal, regardless of the personal or political consequences,” Fitzpatrick said. “This matter is that time-sensitive and it is that existential. It is legacy-defining.”

Fitzpatrick, who represents a suburban district in Philadelphia where voters have mixed political views, is a member of the House Intelligence Committee and also helps lead the Congressional group focused on Ukraine. His remarks constituted some of the most forceful criticism of Trump's stance on Russia and Ukraine to date from Republicans, who have so far refused to use their House and Senate majorities to pressure him to change his mind. The president has long advocated for an end to the conflict, saying that if he had been in the White House in February 2022, Russia would not have launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He dubbed Zelenskiy a "dictator" and intensified his attacks in the days following Ukraine's rejection of a US proposal to cede much of its vital mineral riches. 

Both Republicans and Democrats continue to support Ukraine. The Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman, Roger Wicker, a Republican from Mississippi, told Politico before the president's remarks on Wednesday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had committed a "rookie mistake" when he told NATO that Ukraine could never reestablish its pre-2014 borders or join the alliance. That was nothing compared to what Fitzpatrick said. The big question is whether Republicans, who have stuck with Trump on many issues, will finally break away this time. So far, they haven’t opposed much—whether it's shutting down the US Agency for International Development, plans to fire thousands of federal workers, or allowing Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to access key government computer systems.

They have also approved nominees who faced strong opposition. For example, Hegseth had little experience in management and was accused of alcohol abuse and sexual misconduct, though he denied the allegations. Kori Schake, director of foreign and defence policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, said, "Any enthusiasm that Republicans will stand up to the president or be effective in guiding presidential policy needs to be tempered with the overwhelming votes for Tulsi Gabbard, Kash Patel, and Pete Hegseth by Republicans in confirmation." Schake was referring to the new director of the FBI and director of national intelligence. “My hope  — it may be a forlorn one — is that the president’s public statements are negotiation posturing, and that will make an agreement favouring Ukraine’s liberty and independence and self-sufficiency a surprise,” Schake added.