RAZOM FOR UKRAINE SUPPORTS PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH AGAINST RUSSIA ACT OF 2025
RAZOM FOR UKRAINE SUPPORTS PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH AGAINST RUSSIA ACT OF 2025
December 19, 2025
Washington, D.C. — Razom for Ukraine supports the bipartisan Peace Through Strength Against Russia Act of 2025 and urges House action when Congress returns in January.
Russia has shown it will continue its war against Ukraine as long as it can afford to do so. Congress must raise the cost for the Kremlin and cut off the channels that keep Russia’s war machine running. This bill does that by tightening and expanding sanctions, targeting the sectors and actors that finance Russia’s war, and limiting Russia’s access to the financial systems it uses to keep the war going.
At a pivotal moment, this bipartisan bill signals that Congress is prepared to respond with strength in January. “Russia must face sustained pressure until it stops its brutal attack on Ukraine,” said Diana Godlevskaya, Director of Government Affairs, Razom for Ukraine. “Stopping Russia in Ukraine strengthens our partners and protects U.S. national security by making clear to America’s adversaries that aggression carries real cost. We thank Congressmen Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Meeks (D-NY) for leading this vital effort.”
As Congress reconvenes in January, Razom for Ukraine urges prompt floor consideration of this legislation.
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Razom (“Together” in Ukrainian) is a U.S. nonprofit providing medical and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and a leading advocate for continued U.S. assistance to Ukraine.
RAZOM FOR UKRAINE APPLAUDS PASSAGE OF FY26 NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 17, 2025
RAZOM FOR UKRAINE APPLAUDS PASSAGE OF FY26 NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
Washington, D.C. — Today, Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, which includes important provisions to bolster support for Ukraine and expedite an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. We look forward to President Trump signing this legislation into law.
In the NDAA, Congress reaffirmed that the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) is a key tool to expand U.S. weapons and ammunition production and deliver life-saving arms to Ukraine, alongside allied procurement and arms sales to European partners. Revitalizing America’s defense industrial base, while giving Ukrainians the tools they need to defend themselves, is an America First approach. We urge the Trump administration to act swiftly to issue new contracts under USAI.
We also applaud Congress for creating important new oversight mechanisms for U.S. arms sales to Ukraine, helping ensure that intelligence support continues so Ukrainians can defend against Russia’s air attacks. Critically, this legislation includes the Abducted Ukrainian Children Recovery and Accountability Act, which authorizes new support to locate, return, and care for Ukrainian children stolen by Russia. Saving abducted Ukrainian children is a key priority of First Lady Melania Trump, and this legislation delivers tools to help accomplish that mission — no deal to end the war should be finalized until every Ukrainian child is safely returned home.
While the FY26 NDAA delivers on key issues to support Ukraine and advance peace, Congress’s work is not done. It’s time to levy new mandatory sanctions on Russia and deliver strong, legally binding security guarantees for Ukraine that protect Ukraine’s long-term freedom, safeguard U.S. security, and end Russia’s war.
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Razom (“Together” in Ukrainian) is a U.S. nonprofit providing medical and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and a leading advocate for continued U.S. assistance to Ukraine.
Connecting the Dots: Razom Advocacy Expands Outreach—Now in Spanish
At Razom, every program shares a common purpose: building a secure, prosperous, and democratic Ukraine. From delivering aid and medical training to supporting veterans and artists, each effort contributes to that goal in a different way. Advocacy is one of the ways we make that impact felt beyond Ukraine’s borders – by helping people everywhere understand why Ukraine matters.
Today, that work is expanding into new spaces. Our team is reaching Spanish-language audiences across the United States – because support for Ukraine should transcend language and geography. The team works hand-in-hand with experts, lawmakers, and local leaders to keep Ukraine’s story alive in the places where decisions are made.
Sometimes that means taking the conversation straight to the top. In 2024, Razom helped explain to House Speaker Mike Johnson why additional U.S. aid to Ukraine was not just necessary, but moral. Ukrainian religious leaders – Evangelical Baptists who had suffered persecution under Russian occupation – traveled to Washington to meet him face-to-face. As a Southern Baptist himself, Johnson listened. Around the same time, Razom placed six billboards across Louisiana, including one directly in front of his Cypress Baptist Church. They carried a verse from the Book of Esther that Johnson often quotes: “You were chosen for such a time as this.”
From Policy to Progress
In 2025, those efforts paid off in tangible results. Razom helped write and promote Senate Resolution 236, which demands that Russia return abducted Ukrainian children before any peace negotiations. The bipartisan resolution – introduced by Senators Grassley and Klobuchar – was picked up by Reuters, The Hill, and Newsmax.
Razom also backed a House letter that secured $8 million for the U.S. State Department to document and preserve evidence of the Russian war crimes. The Russian Frozen Assets Initiative, led by Yuliya Ziskina, resulted in real action abroad: a proposed Canadian law to seize $22 billion in frozen Russian assets, and a European Parliament resolution echoing Razom’s own policy language.
On Capitol Hill, the team organized a briefing with the American Enterprise Institute, bringing together GOP staffers to discuss the cost of abandoning Ukraine. They hosted five Ukrainian delegations, earned coverage in NBC, The Washington Post, and The Guardian, and trained more than 80 advocates and community leaders to speak confidently to journalists through media workshops led by Kateryna Lisunova.
Every week, activists from across the United States join Razom’s Advocacy coordination calls – sometimes hearing directly from guests like General Philip Breedlove or historian Serhii Plokhy. Together, they’re building more than policy momentum – they’re building a movement.
Local Roots, National Reach
While the Washington team keeps busy on Capitol Hill, Razom’s Public Engagement team works across the country, focusing on states that shape America’s political and moral compass. Right now, the priority states are Florida, North Carolina, Michigan, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania.
Florida matters because it is home to many key figures in the current administration. North Carolina serves as a defense and research hub, where military partnerships can help both countries build strength. Louisiana, Speaker Johnson’s home state serves as a hub for conferences and events with extensive media coverage, helping shape national opinion. In the state, the city of Shreveport stands out as a major commercial and industrial center, offering opportunities for economic cooperation. Michigan ties directly to U.S. defense manufacturing, while Pennsylvania – a longtime swing state – helps set the tone for national elections.
Florida is where the political agenda is being shaped today. Nearly a third of Floridians identify as Hispanic or Latino, and in Miami-Dade County, two-thirds of residents speak Spanish at home. To connect with that audience, Razom realized it had to speak their language – literally.
Spanish-language outreach isn’t just local-it has a global impact. Russian propaganda, particularly through RT en Español, has long spread distorted narratives across Latin America. Fortunately, most of the Public Engagement team are fluent in Spanish, including Daniel Balson, Director of Public Engagement and media advisors Kateryna Lisunova and Ostap Yarysh.
Kateryna, a former international journalist who studied Spanish at Kyiv’s Dragomanov University, leads this effort. She began her career as a Spanish-language editor for the multilingual channel Jewish News One (JN1) in its Kyiv headquarters. With over 13 years of experience in international and multimedia journalism, including work with VOA and the BBC, her fluency in Spanish and journalistic instincts make her a natural communicator for Spanish-speaking audiences.
In an August interview with Spanish-language outlet Univision North Carolina, ahead of President Trump’s meeting with Putin, she shared her analysis:
“These negotiations are only necessary for Putin to buy some time, try to win more battles on the ground, and cause more damage in Ukraine—because in reality, he will never win this war,” Kateryna said. Regarding the potential territorial swap, she added, “It’s not just about land—it’s about people who have been tortured, raped, and whose children have been kidnapped.”
Connecting Communities
From Palm Beach to Orlando and Miami, Kateryna spent weeks connecting with local activists, influencers, and journalists to bring Ukraine’s story closer to home.
In Orlando, she met with Revived Soldiers Ukraine, a nonprofit providing rehabilitation for wounded soldiers, and helped share their work with local media. She also connected with Marc McMurrin, CEO of the Ginsburg Family Foundation, who after the 2022 invasion had led the first U.S.tour of Ukraine’s National Ballet in over 30 years. That tour inspired the documentary “The Sky Was on Fire,” which earned McMurrin and director Jonathan Maricle a Suncoast Emmy Award. After meeting Kateryna this September, they began collaborating on new events and exhibits to highlight abducted Ukrainian children and expand outreach across Florida.
In Palm Beach, she worked with community leaders, including members of UA Florida, conducting media training for Ukrainian activists and building relationships at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Church – the same church where Donald and Melania Trump were married and their son baptized.
In Miami, Kateryna appeared on major Spanish-language programs, including “En Conexión Radio” with César Miguel Rondón (3M followers), “Esto es América” with José Pernalete (1M followers), and interviews with Napoleón Bravo (1M followers). She spoke about the cultural and linguistic roots of Ukrainian identity and explained that the embroidered vyshyvanka she wore is more than fashion – it’s a symbol of a living national heritage in modern Ukraine.
She also met with Sergio Bustos, vice president of WLRN Public Radio & Television, a PBS and NPR affiliate known for its award-winning coverage. These conversations sparked new ideas for future Spanish-language collaborations and cultural initiatives, aimed at reaching local political leaders in Florida.
A Network of Hope
Many people Kateryna met didn’t realize how much work was already being done to support Ukraine in Florida. Her trip became something more than outreach – it was a way to connect the dots. Local voices that once worked in isolation found each other, new projects were born, and the message grew stronger.
Supporting Ukraine, after all, is an easy decision. You just need the facts – and sometimes, to hear them in your own language.
Razom’s Advocacy team is proof that real change doesn’t come from shouting the loudest, but from speaking clearly, persistently, and from the heart. Now that you know about our efforts, we invite you to help connect more dots and expand our network in these key target states.
Every voice matters. If you’re in Florida and want to stand with Ukraine, join our network on the Quorum app to stay connected to Razom’s advocacy work and local events. Together, we can make sure Ukraine’s story continues to be heard. Register below.
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