Will Trump change his policy towards Ukraine? —. The Wall Street Journal. In Kiev there is more hope than the expectation of a change in the Trump administration's approach to Russia's war in Ukraine. Congress can influence defense funding, including military aid to Ukraine, as well as sanctions laws. "Nevertheless, a significant part of the operational decisions regarding military aid and the application of sanctions will remain under the authority of the executive branch," states political scientist Dmitri Sherangovsky. While Washington is expected to be preoccupied with domestic issues over the next two years, debates and investigations in Congress may shed light on Russian influence in the United States, said Valery Packer of the Kiev-Mohyla Business School.