Pro-Ukraine Organization Puts Up Billboard in Brownsville Calling Out Rep. Gonzalez for Meeting with Russian War Criminals

Published: April 13, 2026   

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 13, 2026

 

Pro-Ukraine Organization Puts Up Billboard in Brownsville Calling Out Rep. Gonzalez for Meeting with Russian War Criminals

 

Washington, D.C. — Razom for Ukraine, a U.S. non-profit organization that advocates for greater U.S. support for Ukraine, placed a Spanish-language billboard on the intersection of International Blvd and Van Buren Street in Brownsville, TX to call on Rep. Vicente Gonzalez to publicly explain his decision to meet Russian legislators on March 26. As the only member of the Democratic party present, he gave the illusion of bipartisan legitimacy to a meeting with members of Russia’s parliament who have championed the Kremlin’s war of aggression and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.

 

“We expect this from fringe radicals,” said Mykola Murskyj, Director of Advocacy at Razom for Ukraine, “but Representative Gonzalez’s presence did severe damage to Democratic solidarity for Ukraine and could be seen to legitimize a regime that has helped Iran kill U.S. soldiers in the Middle East. Fellow Democrats should be demanding answers from his office about his decision to shake hands with these war criminals.” With 77% of Americans supporting stronger sanctions on Russia to end its war in Ukraine, not détente, Rep. Gonzalez and the other representatives present have proven themselves to be out of step with U.S. public opinion.

 

“Anyone who says that it’s always appropriate to have a conversation with an adversary doesn’t understand Russia’s propaganda machine,” continued Murskyj. “This decision handed Russian operatives a propaganda victory by lending a veneer of bipartisanship to a meeting with officials tied to the war. The Russian legislators came to advance the Kremlin’s aims, including gathering intelligence. They did not come to engage in dialogue or pursue peace. Russia uses meetings like this to divide allies, weaken sanctions, and advance its war effort.”

 

Tens of millions of Americans who support Ukraine will continue to use all resources available to demand answers from Rep. Gonzalez and any other U.S. officials who legitimize Russia’s campaign of violence against Ukraine. 

 

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Razom for Ukraine is a U.S. nonprofit providing medical and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and a leading advocate for continued U.S. assistance to Ukraine. For more information or to request an interview, please contact: Ostap Yarysh, Media Advisor at Razom for Ukraine ostap.yarysh@razom.org

 

Ukrainian Drama Showcase

Published: April 1, 2026   

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2026

Ukrainian Drama Showcase 

Brings Urgent Ukrainian Theater to New York City 

Razom for Ukraine Presents Six Plays in English Translation, May 7–10

 

New York, NY — This May, New York City audiences will experience contemporary and classic Ukrainian theater through the first-ever Ukrainian Drama Showcase, presented by Razom for Ukraine. Taking place May 7–10, 2026 at Flamboyan Theater in the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, the festival features six Ukrainian plays in English translation through dynamic staged readings. For those outside New York, the festival will be streamed live via HowlRound Theatre Commons for audiences around the world.

 

While Ukrainian literature and cinema have gained international recognition in recent years, Ukrainian theater remains largely absent from U.S. stages. The Showcase addresses that gap directly—bringing both canonical and contemporary Ukrainian playwrights to new audiences and inviting the U.S. theater community to engage with work that reflects the breadth of Ukrainian experience.

 

The program spans genres and eras: a dark comedy set in eastern Ukraine; a poetic monologue by the soldier “Raccoon,” accompanied by a relentless chorus; a 19th-century proto-feminist salon debating “pure love”; and a documentary-style theatrical collage exposing the gap between official narratives and lived reality.

 

The program features:

 

Long Plays (translations by Nina Murray):

 

• A Harvest Truce by Serhiy Zhadan

Directed by Danilo Gambini


• The Blue Rose by Lesia Ukrainka

Directed by Rory Pelsue


• The Order of Neatly Made Beds by Lena Lagushonkova

Directed by Jillian Jetton

 

Short Plays:

 

• Balance by Alina Sarnatska (translated by the author)

Directed by Dylan Zwickel

 

• The Chronicles of the Lost Soul by Anna Halas (translated by the author)

Directed by Lita Lofton

 

• New York, Donetsk, Ukraine: 100° F by Oleksandr Zhuhan (translated by John Freedman with Nataliia Bratus)

Directed by Yibin Wang

 

Poet and translator Murray has played a key role in bringing Ukrainian literature and drama into English. “The work of a translator can often be lonely,” Murray reflects. “To have these plays in the hands of directors and actors is a thrill and a privilege.”

One of the playwrights, Alina Sarnatska, will travel from Ukraine to attend the Showcase. Her play Balance brings her firsthand experience as a war medic directly to the New York City stage. 

The Showcase’s directors include devised theater artist Jillian Jetton and Obie winners Rory Pelsue and Danilo Gambini. Each will bring a distinct directorial approach, activating the performance space while keeping the text at the center, bringing imaginative staging to these stories.

 

Festival Details:
 

Dates: May 7–10, 2026 

Location: Flamboyan Theater, The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center, 107 Suffolk St, New York, NY 

Tickets: Ukrainian Drama Showcase

Streaming: Free global access via HowlRound Theatre Commons

 

About Razom for Ukraine: 

Razom for Ukraine (which means “together” in Ukrainian) is a U.S.-based nonprofit founded in 2014 that works to build a secure, prosperous, and democratic Ukraine. The organization operates across program areas — including humanitarian aid, health, advocacy, and cultural initiatives — addressing both immediate needs and long-term recovery. Through Razom Connect, Razom for Ukraine positions culture as a vital part of its mission, alongside humanitarian aid and advocacy, demonstrating that cultural visibility is essential to global understanding and solidarity.

 

Press Contact:

Rachel Shuey 

rachel.shuey@razomforukraine.org

706-399-3333

Bring Kids Back | Teddy Bears Installation

Published: April 1, 2026   

Bring Kids Back

Date: April 23

Time:  1-2 pm – rally and press conference | 12 pm – 4 pm – installation will be displayed

Location: National Mall (between 3rd & 4th Streets), Washington, DC

Organized by Razom for Ukraine in partnership with American Coalition for Ukraine. 

Volunteer opportunities will be available April 18-23 throughout the day

Event Description

On April 23, 20,000 stuffed teddy bears will take over the National Mall — each one representing a Ukrainian child forcibly abducted by Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion.

The identities and faces of abducted children cannot be publicly displayed due to ongoing efforts to secure their return. The horrors of the crime, however, cannot remain invisible. This installation uses a universal symbol of childhood — the teddy bear — to illustrate the scale of the abductions in a powerful, visual way. It transforms that abstract number into something Americans can see, feel, and confront.

As diplomatic negotiations continue and global attention shifts elsewhere, the fate of Ukraine’s children must not be sidelined. The return of every child is non-negotiable. And the war is not over until Ukrainian children come back home. 

The installation will be accompanied by a rally and press conference from 1–2 PM featuring lawmakers, faith leaders, advocates, and members of the Ukrainian American community. The display will remain in place until 4 PM for public viewing and media coverage.


Purpose


The event aims to:

• Urge the U.S. administration to prioritize the return of abducted Ukrainian children in all diplomatic engagements

• Reinforce bipartisan Congressional support for holding Russia to account

• Generate national media attention around an ongoing war crime 

• Provide a visible, peaceful, and nonpartisan call to action


Core Messages:

• The war is not over until every Ukrainian child comes home.

• The United States must help bring Ukraine’s abducted children home.

• Ukraine’s children are not a bargaining chip.


Volunteer opportunities

It takes a village to raise a child – and the world to save one. To execute this ambitious project, we need the help of the community. Volunteer opportunities will be available throughout the week, including on the day of the event. 

We need volunteers to put an installation together, load and unload pieces of the installation from the trucks, help with the installation on the site, drive the U-Hauls, marshal the rally, help clean up after the event and join the rally as a participant. If you are available on the day of the event – or before – sign up via the form and let us know your availability.

Join Us

Hosting Russian Duma Officials in Washington Will Not Lead to Peace

Published: March 25, 2026   

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 25, 2026

 

Hosting Russian Duma Officials in Washington Will Not Lead to Peace

 

Washington, D.C. — “Supporters of Ukraine unequivocally condemn the decision to invite Russian war criminals to Washington for meetings with American government officials,” said Razom’s Advocacy Director Mykola Murskyj, responding to news that a delegation of Russian State Duma representatives will travel to the United States to meet with members of Congress and the Executive branch. 

 

“President Trump has said that he wants to stop the war and Ukrainians share that goal. But Russia’s invasion will end when one man – Vladimir Putin – decides it must. Poll after poll has shown that majorities of Americans support continued assistance to Ukraine. The White House should heed their view rather than host Kremlin functionaries for talks unlikely to yield results.”

 

“Ukrainians had a good look at Russia’s negotiating position earlier this week, when Russian Shahed drones slammed into a historic city center in Lviv, battering a Catholic church and maiming scores of civilians.” 

 

“Russia’s legislature has no genuine opposition parties. It serves chiefly to ratify Putin’s wars and human rights abuses. In the lead-up to Russia’s full scale invasion, the Duma voted 351 to 16 to recognize sovereign Ukrainian territory as part of the Russian Federation.”

 

“The members of this delegation are currently prosecuting a war of aggression against a neighboring country and the stakes are clear: If they achieve their goals – on the battlefield or in the negotiating room – Ukrainians will lose their lives, their freedoms, and their sovereignty. If Russia’s ambitions are thwarted, Ukrainians will consolidate their democracy and continue their movement towards the West.”

 

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Razom for Ukraine is a U.S. nonprofit providing medical and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and a leading advocate for continued U.S. assistance to Ukraine. For more information or to request an interview, please contact: Ostap Yarysh, Media Advisor at Razom for Ukraine ostap.yarysh@razom.org

 

Razom and UCFP announce first Congressional Ukraine Policy Fellows

Published: March 23, 2026   

RAZOM AND UCFP ANNOUNCE FIRST CONGRESSIONAL UKRAINE POLICY FELLOWS

 

Release Date: March 23, 2026

Location: Washington, D.C.

 

Razom and the Ukrainian Community Foundation of Philadelphia (UCFP) are proud to announce the inaugural cohort of the Congressional Ukraine Policy Fellowship, a first-of-its-kind, year-long professional development program for mid-career professionals with deep expertise on Ukraine.

 

The Fellowship was created to give American professionals and academics with substantial knowledge of Ukraine a unique opportunity to develop as policy professionals through full-time work on Capitol Hill. Over the course of 12 months, fellows work in congressional offices, gaining experience in policy development, legislative drafting, oversight, and stakeholder engagement on issues related to Ukraine’s security, democratic resilience, and long-term recovery.

 

The inaugural fellows, Myroslava Gongadze and Michael Corcoran, were selected to serve in the offices of Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL), two of the four co-chairs of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus and long-standing champions of Ukraine. These placements offer fellows the opportunity to learn within two of the strongest congressional offices working on Ukraine policy today while supporting bipartisan legislative engagement on issues central to the U.S.-Ukraine relationship.

 

“The Ukrainian Community Foundation of Philadelphia is proud to support a program that gives Ukraine experts in the United States an exceptional opportunity to grow professionally through direct service in Congress,” said Roman Petyk, Board Chair of the Ukrainian Community Foundation of Philadelphia. “Myroslava and Michael bring outstanding experience, judgment, and commitment to this work, and we are honored to invest in their development at such an important moment for both Ukraine and the United States.”

 

“This fellowship offers something rare: the chance for deeply knowledgeable Ukraine experts to gain first-hand experience in the legislative process at the highest level,” said Dora Chomiak, CEO of Razom for Ukraine. “By placing fellows in both Republican and Democratic offices led by two of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus’s co-chairs, we are helping build a stronger long-term bench of policy professionals.”

 

The Congressional Ukraine Policy Fellowship is designed not only to support the fellows during their year on Capitol Hill but also to cultivate a durable community of professionals with serious expertise in Ukraine and practical experience in American policymaking.

 

2025–2026 Congressional Ukraine Policy Fellows

 

Myroslava Gongadze – Office of Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R‑PA)

Myroslava Gongadze is a journalist and foreign policy expert specializing in Ukraine, Eastern Europe, and European Security. With more than two decades of experience reporting on democratic movements, Russian aggression, and regional security dynamics, she has contributed analysis and insight on Russia’s war against Ukraine and its implications for the transatlantic alliance. Most recently, she served as Voice of America’s Eastern Europe Chief. Gongadze has worked with policymakers, experts, and civil society leaders across Europe and the United States to advance discussions on democratic resilience, security cooperation, and Ukraine’s integration with Euro-Atlantic institutions. In Rep. Fitzpatrick’s office, she contributes her regional expertise while gaining direct experience with the legislative process shaping U.S. policy toward Ukraine and European security.

 

Michael R. Corcoran – Office of Rep. Mike Quigley (D‑IL)

Michael Corcoran is a national security professional with more than a decade of experience shaping U.S. foreign policy and international development. He has served across multiple federal agencies—including the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of Defense, and the Department of State—advancing foreign policy and assistance initiatives throughout Eastern Europe and Africa. Most recently, he was Ukraine Deputy Team Lead at USAID, advising senior officials on U.S.-Ukraine cooperation and assistance during Russia’s full-scale invasion. In Rep. Quigley’s office, he applies his policy expertise to support congressional engagement on Ukraine and national security, while gaining deeper insight into the legislative process.

 

# # #

 

Razom (“Together” in Ukrainian) is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing medical and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and a leading advocate for continued U.S. assistance to Ukraine.

 

The Ukrainian Community Foundation of Philadelphia (UCFP) is a community-based 501(c)(3) philanthropic organization that strengthens Ukrainian civic, cultural, and educational life by investing in diaspora-driven initiatives that support a resilient, secure, and democratic Ukraine.



 

Lifting Sanctions Against Russia Would Prolong the War

Published: March 10, 2026   

Lifting Sanctions Against Russia Would Prolong the War

 

Washington, D.C. — Reacting to news that the Trump Administration is considering lifting sanctions against designated Russian entities, Razom for Ukraine’s Director of Advocacy Mykola Murskyj said, 

 

“President Trump said that Russia’s war against Ukraine has gone on too long. Lifting oil-related sanctions against Russia would make the war continue for far longer. Any move to welcome the architects of Russia’s war back into the global economy would leave more Ukrainians dead, infrastructure destroyed, and peace further out of reach.” 

 

“Today, Russia is helping Iran kill Americans: Ukraine is helping defend them. Russia is helping Iran target American servicemen and servicewomen, military bases, and allies in the Middle East. Ukraine is helping protect them with its drone defense technologies. That’s why polling shows that most of President Trump’s own voters see Russia as a threat, back further sanctions against Russia, and want America to stand with its European allies, including Ukraine.”

 

“The sanctions are working: if Trump wants the killing to stop, he must keep the sanctions in place. Russia’s budget is plagued by perpetual shortfalls, its companies are uninvestable, its currency sags from inflation, and its industry is in decline. Lifting sanctions on Russia’s only export of value would undo these hard-won victories and help Russia pay for the missiles that slaughter Ukrainian civilians every day.”

 

“President Trump has previously criticized European allies for purchasing Russian oil even as they call for more support for Ukraine. He should continue to call them out, instead of emulating these failed policies.”

 

“If you want the war to end sooner, don’t refill the Kremlin’s war chest.”

 

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Razom for Ukraine is a U.S. nonprofit providing medical and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and a leading advocate for continued U.S. assistance to Ukraine. For more information or to request an interview, please contact: Ostap Yarysh, Media Advisor at Razom for Ukraine ostap.yarysh@razom.org

2025 Impact Report: Building What Sustains Ukraine​

Published: March 9, 2026   

In 2025, Ukraine did more than endure. Under relentless attacks on infrastructure, hospitals, and civilian life, Ukrainians continued to function, adapt, and build for the future. And because of your support, Razom strengthened the systems that make that possible — not just emergency relief, but durable capacity: the local leadership, infrastructure, and institutional strength that allow Ukraine to function under prolonged attack. Here is what that looked like.

Strengthening the Survival Chain

 

When seconds determine survival, systems matter. In 2025, Razom reinforced Ukraine’s full chain of survival — from frontline stabilization to hospital recovery. We trained tactical medics, delivered 56 Mobile Stabilization Points to bring care closer to the front line, strengthened EMS capacity across multiple regions, and delivered over $15 million in lifesaving medical supplies through 147 in-country distribution trips.

We also scaled our advanced trauma training and surgical exchange programs through the Co-Pilot Project, bringing international collaboration to elevate Ukraine’s surgical capabilities.

That is what your support creates: conditions where lives can be saved

Powering Local Leadership for Ukraine’s Future

 

Resilience is not imported. It is built locally. When international funding disruptions placed enormous strain on Ukraine’s civil society, Razom invested in strengthening Ukrainian organizations themselves. Through Razom Sylnishi (“Stronger Together”), NGOs received training, mentorship, and institutional grants to stabilize operations and build for long-term growth.

We supported 15 workforce and reskilling projects across more than 10 regions, helping over 3,300 Ukrainians rebuild livelihoods. Veterans found new pathways to leadership through adaptive sports and professional programs. Medical and military leaders completed tailored Mini-MBA programs designed specifically to equip them for crisis leadership.

Ella Petrenko, founder of the Bilozerka Center for Regional Development in Kherson Oblast, described the shift: “Doing good work is not enough — you have to do it efficiently and sustainably. These grants are about more than money. They give us time to reflect, to grow, and to build organizations that will be here for the long run.”

Through intentional investment in local leaders, recovery becomes durable — and your support allows us to infuse targeted capacity building where it will make the most difference, creating ripple effects in numerous communities.

Inspiring the World with Ukraine

 

Ukraine’s story is not only one of war — it is one of creativity, expertise, and leadership. In 2025, Razom’s Ukrainian Cultural Festival transformed October in New York into a month-long celebration of Ukrainian cinema, theater, literature, and visual arts. Ninety percent of attendees were non-Ukrainian — expanding Ukraine’s cultural presence far beyond the diaspora and into mainstream artistic spaces.

One Ukrainian Cultural Festival attendee captured the shift:

Through Ukraine on Campus, Razom supported students and scholars across major universities, creating space for Ukrainian research, literature, and lived experience to enter academic conversations on their own terms. Ukrainian medics led record-breaking workshops at international medical conferences. Journalists traveled to Ukraine to report firsthand, replacing abstraction with experience.

In 2025, Razom also launched ImpactUA, an immersive, in-country internship program that brought U.S.-based and Ukrainian students studying abroad to work alongside Ukrainian NGOs. For many, the experience transformed into long-term commitment — with several choosing to relocate, launch initiatives, or return to Ukraine in professional capacities.

Throughout 2025, Razom ensured that Ukraine’s lived reality was present where global policy decisions are made. Working closely with more than 70 congressional offices across 41 committees, Razom helped advance pro-Ukraine priorities in U.S. legislation, including $400 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. In Europe, Razom elevated the strategic use of frozen Russian sovereign assets as a viable pathway to finance Ukraine’s reconstruction — co-organizing high-level discussions with partners such as the Atlantic Council and the Center for American Studies at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome.

That showcases the deeper impact of Razom’s work in bringing Ukraine’s inspiration to audiences worldwide:

 Ensuring Ukraine is understood not only through crisis, but
through contribution

Innovation Under Pressure

War accelerates innovation — and Razom helped Ukrainian professionals scale the interventions and inventions that prove to be most useful. From Ukrainian-engineered communication systems now achieving state certification, to nationwide Point-of-Care Ultrasound training influencing Ministry of Health standards, 2025 showed that some of Ukraine’s most consequential solutions are emerging directly from wartime necessity.

As Ukrainian ultrasound pioneer Dr. Oksana Popova explains:

Through Razom z Toboyu (Together with You), more than 11,000 individual counseling sessions were delivered in 2025 alone, expanding access to modern, evidence-based psychological care.

Tourniquet protocols were standardized nationally through the first-ever Tourniquet Forum.

Through Razom Cinema, we reimagined how Ukrainian films are distributed and experienced globally. We partnered for the first time with Metrograph in New York to present Soul & Soil: Ukrainian Poetic Cinema, a curated series of landmark Ukrainian films.

This is innovation that strengthens Ukraine today, enhances Ukraine’s capacity to rebuild, and informs global best practices for tomorrow. Razom is proud to act as a catalyst for developing Ukrainian-led innovation and invest in solutions produced by people who excel under the toughest conditions, often with no margin for error.

Investing in Ukraine’s Next Generation

Ukraine’s future is being built in classrooms, volunteer camps, robotics labs, and youth leadership programs. Razom supported 25+ STEM classrooms reaching 9,500 students, national education festivals engaging 2,500 teachers, and international Olympiad teams earning medals on global stages. Through entrepreneurship programs like Create HERE!, 783 young people developed business plans, with projects already implemented in frontline communities. 

Razom also invests in global exposure that strengthens Ukraine from the inside out. In 2025, Ukrainian theater professionals completed internships at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, gaining hands-on experience in large-scale production, fundraising, and institutional management.

At the same time, Ukraine’s Youth Delegates to the United Nations carried the lived realities of wartime Ukraine directly into global decision-making spaces, delivering more than 20 speeches and forming a cross-continental youth network spanning 20+ countries. 

One participant reflected: “We are not just coordinating projects — we are coordinating hope.”

Investing in youth is not symbolic — it is a structural decision that ensures sustainability of workforce and talent as well as sustained involvement of youth in Ukraine’s recovery.

Building Forward — Together

The work documented in the 2025 Impact Report reflects more than response. It reflects long-term systems building. As CEO Dora Chomiak writes:

That is what Razom is building — a Ukraine that can defend itself, sustain its people, and shape its own democratic future. Your support makes this possible. If you believe in a secure, livable, and connected Ukraine — one led by its own people — we invite you to continue building with us.

Stand with Razom.
Invest in Ukraine’s long-term resilience

read the full report
Donate now

Razom Policy Platform on a Russia–Ukraine Deal

Published: January 7, 2026   

RAZOM FOR UKRAINE SUPPORTS PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH AGAINST RUSSIA ACT OF 2025

Published: December 22, 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

Published: December 17, 2025   

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.