UCCA urges immediate Congressional action on new Russian sanctions

The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) is calling on the U.S. Congress and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to act immediately by advancing and enacting a comprehensive sanctions legislation to hold Russia accountable for its escalating war of aggression against Ukraine. 

“Russia’s war of aggression is escalating with unprecedented intensity. On 11 March 2025, Ukraine accepted a U.S.-proposed ceasefire without conditions — signaling its commitment to peace. russia rejected the offer and responded with a brutal escalation,” the UCCA statement reads.

In recent weeks, Russian forces have launched thousands of drones and missiles at Ukraine — in July alone, over 1,200 UAVs, more than 250 cruise and ballistic missiles, and over 1,000 aerial bombs targeted civilian infrastructure, energy facilities, and humanitarian institutions, including schools and hospitals.

“Despite 17 rounds of sanctions since 2022, russia continues to earn hundreds of millions daily from fossil fuel exports — about €565 million per day as of May 2025 — thanks to a shadow fleet of 1,100–1,400 tankers rerouting oil through the Caucasus and China,” the statement reads.

At the same time, Russia’s defense industry is bypassing export restrictions. Moscow illegally supplies Western components — microchips, sensors, and machinery — through front companies in Central Asia and the Gulf countries.

The UCCA urges a shift from reactive measures to systematic pressure. Specifically, they call for secondary sanctions on Russian oil and gas, strengthened export controls, and blacklisting of logistics hubs in Asia and the Middle East involved in smuggling dual-use goods. 

They also demand confiscation and allocation of nearly $300 billion in frozen Russian state assets abroad to finance Ukraine’s defense and reconstruction.

“Time is critical. Every day of delay fuels russia’s war machine and deepens civilian suffering. Sanctions are a powerful, cost-effective national security tool that do not risk American lives but can decisively weaken russia’s military capacity,” the statement reads.

Inaction threatens not only Ukraine but also the stability of the Baltic and Black Sea regions and the world, the organization warns.

“If Ukraine falls, authoritarian regimes will see Western restraint as weakness—and act accordingly. This is a defining moment,” the statement reads.

More than 60% of Americans support current sanctions or call for their strengthening.

“Symbolic gestures are no longer enough. The kremlin’s war economy must be dismantled — not after another hospital is destroyed or another city leveled. The Ukrainian people are fighting for sovereignty and the democratic values we claim to defend,” the statement reads.

The UCCA emphasizes that the free world must act decisively and in solidarity. 

“The U.S. Congress must move now to pass strong sanctions legislation,” the statement reads.