Razom for Ukraine applauds new U.S. sanctions on Russian oil

Published: October 23, 2025

October 23, 2025

RAZOM FOR UKRAINE APPLAUDS NEW U.S. SANCTIONS ON RUSSIAN OIL

Washington, D.C. — We applaud the Trump administration’s decisive action to impose new sanctions on Russian oil. This is a strong move that hits Russia exactly where it hurts and makes every day of Putin’s war even more expensive and less sustainable.

As Secretary Scott Bessent said, now is the time for Russia to stop the killing and agree to a ceasefire. By targeting two of Russia’s largest oil companies, the United States is putting a major dent in the Kremlin’s war chest. Sanctioning Russian oil just as Ukraine is battering Russian oil production with drones is a winning formula for forcing Russia to end its war.

It’s essential to keep up the pressure — sanctions must be enforced and updated, and Ukraine must get every weapon it needs to fight back and win. Putin still believes he can outlast the West. We thank the Trump administration for this important step towards proving him wrong.

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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 Endorses REPO Implementation Act 2025

Published: October 20, 2025

Razom for Ukraine Endorses REPO Implementation Act 2025

Washington, D.C., October 20, 2025 — Razom for Ukraine is proud to endorse the bipartisan REPO Implementation Act (S.2918), which was introduced by Senator Risch (R-ID) and Senator Whitehouse (D-RI). This critical legislation provides a moral, legal, and practical pathway to transfer frozen Russian state assets to Ukraine to assist a nation that continues to stand against Russia’s brutal aggression. As this legislation goes to markup by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, there’s no better time to make Russia pay.

This new legislation builds on the successful REPO for Ukrainians Act, which became law in April 2024. By strengthening President Trump’s authority to repurpose Russia’s frozen assets and encouraging our allies to do the same, the REPO Implementation Act ensures Ukraine has predictable and sustained support without additional costs on American taxpayers.

Russia must pay. Ukraine must rebuild. By repurposing Russia’s assets, President Trump will have the tools he needs to lead through strength. Razom calls on Congress to advance this crucial bill — and on global allies to follow America’s lead.

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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.

Keeping the pressure on Putin is the only path to peace

Published: October 17, 2025

October 17, 2025

RAZOM FOR UKRAINE: KEEPING THE PRESSURE ON PUTIN IS THE ONLY PATH TO PEACE

Washington, D.C. — As President Trump concludes his meeting with President Zelenskyy and prepares to meet again with Putin, Razom for Ukraine urges the Trump administration to make Russia feel the full weight of American resolve.

“President Trump’s support for Ukraine in recent weeks has led to the best chance yet at peace. But Putin talks peace while his army bombs Ukrainian cities and steals Ukrainian children. This cannot continue,” said Mykola Murskyj, Advocacy Director at Razom for Ukraine.

Secretary of War Hegseth was absolutely right when he said, “You get [peace] when you have real capabilities that adversaries respect.” Congressional leaders and the American people agree. Speaker Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Thune have said that sanctions on Russia are long overdue. New polling found that 73% of Republicans and 72% of Democrats want the U.S. to arm Ukraine and sanction Russia.

Over the past year, Ukraine racked up impressive achievements on the battlefield, regaining previously occupied territory and crippling Russia’s oil production. Meanwhile, Putin continues to make vague promises of negotiation that amount to nothing and only serve to stall for time. Now is the time to capitalize on Ukraine’s successes, not give in to Russian delay tactics.

“Putin doesn’t want peace — he wants permission,” said Murskyj. “Putin doesn’t need another photo op; he needs to end his invasion.” Because Russia wants war, peace can only be achieved by arming Ukraine to the teeth, imposing crippling sanctions on Russia’s economy, and showing American might. Only through strength can President Trump parlay his success in the Middle East into sustained peace in Europe.

For more information or to request an interview, please contact Ostap Yarysh, Media Advisor at Razom, ostap.yarysh@razom.org

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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 Applauds Senate Passage of NDAA with Key Provisions for Peace in Ukraine

Published: October 10, 2025

RAZOM APPLAUDS SENATE PASSAGE OF NDAA WITH KEY PROVISIONS FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE

Washington, D.C., October 10, 2025 — Razom for Ukraine applauds the Senate’s passage of the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which will significantly advance President Trump’s efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine and end Russia’s invasion. As the NDAA moves to formal conference, we urge Congress to preserve the many pro-Ukraine and pro-peace provisions included in the Senate version. Razom also applauds Senators Klobuchar (D-MN) and Grassley (R-IA) for S. 2119, the Abducted Ukrainian Children Recovery and Accountability Act — incorporated into the Senate NDAA — to help return tens of thousands of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia and hold perpetrators accountable.

The Senate NDAA equips President Trump with additional tools to push the Kremlin into negotiations to end the war. Razom welcomes the inclusion of provisions that support Ukraine’s defense and the deterrence of future Russian aggression, as well as the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which creates American jobs to revitalize the U.S. defense industrial base while saving lives in Ukraine. We encourage President Trump to issue USAI contracts and get Americans back to work rebuilding the Arsenal of Democracy, especially for desperately needed Patriot air defenses. We particularly applaud Senate Armed Services Chairman Wicker and Ranking Member Reed for their leadership in ensuring the inclusion of these important provisions.

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Razom commends President Trump’s support for Ukraine victory

Published: September 23, 2025

RAZOM COMMENDS PRESIDENT TRUMP’S SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE VICTORY

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 23, 2025 — Razom for Ukraine commends President Trump for his leadership at the United Nations and his remarks affirming support for Ukraine’s victory over Russia’s faltering invasion.

“I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form… Why not? Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years,” wrote President Trump in a post on Truth Social. “Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act.”

“President Trump showed today that he knows Ukrainians are winners,” said Director of Advocacy for Razom for Ukraine Mykola Murskyj. “Military planners at the Pentagon are studying Ukraine’s miraculous victory in the Battle of the Black Sea, forcing Russia’s fleet to retreat from Crimea for the first time in over a century.”

“I hope we see President Trump double down by signing a U.S.-Ukraine drone partnership deal—Ukraine is literally writing the handbook on how to win a war with drones, and the United States can’t afford to miss out.”

“This is the kind of leadership that wins Nobel Peace Prizes. President Trump sent a clear signal to Vladimir Putin that any more raids into NATO airspace will result in Russian aircraft getting shot out of the sky, and he gave voice to the majority of Americans who want to see Ukraine win and Russia lose. Putin only respects strength, and that’s exactly what we saw from President Trump today.”

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For media inquiries please reach out to Julian Hayda (julian.hayda@razom.org or 773-505-4806). 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.

Voices That Endure: New Ukrainian Books for a World That Must Listen

Published: September 12, 2025

As Ukrainians fight for their freedom, they never stop speaking to the wider world—telling stories that carry grief and hope, rage and resilience, loss and love. This year, several powerful new books have been released in English, ensuring that Ukrainian voices are heard far beyond the battlefield. These works are not only literature; they are testaments of endurance, identity, and truth.

Artem Chapeye

Ordinary People Don’t Carry Machine Guns

Translator: Zenia H. Tompkins

Artem Chapaye, a journalist and novelist turned soldier, once embraced pacifism. In this book, he reckons with what happens when war is thrust upon “ordinary people.” His raw account challenges readers to consider the choices forced upon Ukrainians when survival itself is at stake.

Danielle Leavitt

By the Second Spring

Seven Lives and One Year of the War in Ukraine

Through seven deeply human portraits, Danielle Leavitt chronicles a year of war that reshaped lives forever. Her prose brings readers into kitchens, streets, and hospital rooms, revealing intimate moments that show not just suffering, but also endurance and unexpected tenderness in wartime.

Victoria Amelina

Looking at Women, Looking at War

Prose translated by Daisy Gibbons
Poetry translated by Uilleam Blacker

The final work of the late Victoria Amelina, one of Ukraine’s brightest literary voices, is both a witness account and an elegy. On the evening of June 27th, 2023, Amelina and three international writers stopped for dinner in the embattled Donetsk region. When a Russian cruise missile hit the restaurant, Amelina suffered grievous head injuries, and lost consciousness. She died on July 1st. She was thirty-seven. She left behind an incredible account of the ravages of war and the cost of resistance. Honest, intimate, and wry, this book will be celebrated as a classic.

THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING winner

Olia Hercules

Strong Roots

This is an ode to the land, to ideas of home and belonging, and to family stories and recipes passed down the generations – the tang of sour cherries, the best way to make borsch. It is an account of resilience in the hardest of circumstances. Strong Roots brims with hope and grief. It lays bare the compromises and betrayals of generations struggling and surviving through war, peace, invasion and exile. It is an uplifting reminder of how much the human spirit can endure when born from a land rich with strong roots.

To meet Olian Hercules and two more Ukrainian writers as they explore what it means to live with, remember, and resist occupation, join us on October 24 at an event that is part of Razom’s Ukrainian Cultural Festival. Secure your tickets here.

Women and War

Letters from Ukraine to the Free World

Edited and translated by Aurélie Bros

How would you communicate the realities of living in a warzone to someone who has never had this experience? Thirty Ukrainian women, ages 10 to 72, answered this question in letters that emanate power, depth, pain, strength, and resilience. These fragments of life reveal the horrors of conflict but also the humanity of survivors.

These books remind us that war is not only fought on the frontlines, but also in stories, memories, and the will to speak truth to the world.

Look for some of these authors during Razom’s Ukrainian Cultural Festival in October – and most of all, seek out their books. By reading them, you honor their courage, carry their voices forward, and ensure that Ukraine’s story is never silenced.

Razom Welcomes Trump’s Readiness To Guarantee Ukrainian Security So Any Peace Deal Lasts

Published: August 18, 2025

RAZOM WELCOMES TRUMP’S READINESS TO GUARANTEE UKRAINIAN SECURITY SO ANY PEACE DEAL LASTS

Washington, D.C., August 18, 2025 — Today’s historic summit at the White House of European leaders and President Donald Trump reportedly resulted in a proposed $90 billion deal between the United States and Ukraine, steps towards security guarantees from the United States and Europe, and readiness for a trilateral meeting with the presidents of Ukraine, the United States, and Vladimir Putin.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed a historic deal with the United States, pledging to buy $90 billion worth of American weapons. The proposal would also strike a deal for the U.S. and Ukraine to produce the cutting-edge drones that Ukraine has used to protect Europe for the last 3.5 years from Russian aggression. This deal would be a huge win for President Trump and his mission to rebuild the American military—nobody knows drones like the Ukrainians.

“Any deal to end the war that abandons the tens of thousands of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia would be a bad deal,” said Dora Chomiak, CEO of Razom for Ukraine. “Ukraine cannot sacrifice its future. Ukraine is integral to the future of security for the United States and the rest of Europe. Ukraine’s future will be decided by Ukrainians.”

“By working with U.S. allies to guarantee Russia can’t restart the war, President Trump shows Peace Through Strength,” Chomiak said. “Ukrainians have called Putin’s escalation bluffs countless times and shown that Russian threats ring hollow. Russia has violated every agreement it made with Ukraine to respect its sovereignty and stop fighting. Russia lies. It will take iron-clad security guarantees to truly end this war.”

“President Trump’s readiness to include the United States in security guarantees for Ukraine is the crucial component to a real sustainable peace,” Chomiak said. “As President Trump convened today’s summit, Russia launched another massive bombardment of Ukrainians with dozens of suicide drones screeching towards families in their homes.”

Under U.S. law since 2017, it is illegal for the United States to recognize Russia’s false claims on occupied Ukrainian territory. (See §§ 253 and 257 of Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act).

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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.

For more information or to request an interview, please contact Ostap Yarysh, Media Advisor at Razom, ostap.yarysh@razom.org

Razom Calls On President Trump To Take Decisive Action After Putin Misleads At Alaska Meeting

Published: August 15, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | AUGUST 15, 2025

RAZOM CALLS ON PRESIDENT TRUMP TO TAKE DECISIVE ACTION AFTER PUTIN MISLEADS AT ALASKA MEETING

Anchorage, Alaska — Following the meeting between President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Razom for Ukraine reaffirms that the only way to achieve a genuine peace is by pressuring Russia, not by believing Putin’s lies that he wants peace. The best path to peace lies in working closely with Ukraine and the rest of Europe to force Putin to end his invasion.

“Putin remains the sole obstacle to peace,” said Dora Chomiak, CEO of Razom. “Just before Putin landed in Alaska, Russia launched another massive air strike on Ukrainian civilians, reminding us all that he won’t end Russia’s invasion until he’s forced to. To ensure a peace between Russia and Ukraine is successful and lasting, Ukrainians must be the ones deciding their own future. President Trump must immediately get Ukraine the weapons it needs to save innocent families from Putin’s brutal attacks,” Chomiak said.

“The idea that Putin believes there is a positive deal for him in the near future is deeply alarming. Justice requires that any ‘agreement’ made without Ukraine be rejected. This isn’t ‘the Ukrainian problem,’ but the Russian problem — this is Russia’s war, and Russia decides when to end its invasion.”

“Every moment that real peace is delayed means more Russian missiles killing civilians, more Ukrainian children abducted by the Russians from occupied territory, and more horrific war crimes perpetrated by Russia. Putin still has hope that he can conquer Ukraine. President Trump must prove him wrong.”

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Razom (“Together” in Ukrainian) is a major U.S.-based nonprofit providing medical and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and a leading advocate for continued U.S. assistance for Ukraine. For more information or to request an interview, please contact Ostap Yarysh, Media Advisor at Razom for Ukraine at ostap.yarysh@razom.org.

Razom Calls on President Trump to Show Strength in Alaska Meeting

Published: August 11, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 11, 2025

RAZOM CALLS ON PRESIDENT TRUMP TO SHOW STRENGTH IN ALASKA MEETING

Washington, D.C. — President Vladimir Putin’s willingness to meet with President Donald Trump in Alaska this week does not demonstrate Russia’s openness to peace, but is rather a sign of strategic desperation. “For three years, Ukraine’s brave men and women have done what many once thought impossible: grind one of the world’s largest militaries to a crawl,” said Mykola Murskyj, Advocacy Director at Razom. “President Trump has now forced Putin to come to the table by demonstrating true American strength.”

Razom calls on President Trump to reject Putin’s bad-faith appeals to peace. “For Putin, this isn’t about territory or some geopolitical aim, but a deep desire to eliminate the Ukrainian nation. Ukrainians share President Trump’s goal of peace, but history shows that Putin will take any opportunity to rearm, regroup, and prepare for his next offensive. Because of Russia’s war aims, the idea of a land swap simply cannot achieve the peace that Ukrainians and Trump seek,” said Murskyj. “No decisions about Ukraine can be made without Ukraine at the table.”

“Achieving peace requires us to confront evil, not accommodate it. True strength means forcing Russia to end its aggression entirely, return over 19,500 abducted Ukrainian children, and withdraw from the Ukrainian territory it occupies.”

Trump voters support the President sending additional military aid to Ukraine by a 3-to-1 ratio, according to a mid-July poll from Echelon Insights (65% support, 22% opposed). President Trump has the opportunity to demonstrate strength by enforcing expansive secondary sanctions and tariffs, speeding weapons deliveries to Ukraine, and continuing to pressure America’s European allies to do more in the interest of our common defense.

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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.

For more information or to request an interview, please contact Ostap Yarysh, Media Advisor at Razom, ostap.yarysh@razom.org

Razom Celebrates Women in Translation Month

Published: August 5, 2025

Women in Translation (WiT) Month, celebrated annually in August, is an initiative focused on celebrating women writers from around the world – especially those writing in languages other than English. A fully volunteer-led movement, WiT was started by a book blogger and lifelong bibliophile Meytal Radzinski in 2014 and has become a staple of the literary community since. WiT aims to celebrate and promote translated literature by women and highlight the underrepresentation of women authors in translated works – a gender imbalance where a disproportionate number of translated books are written by men and come from Western European countries. We invite you to celebrate WiT Razom (together) with us by seeking out, reading, discussing, and sharing books written and translated by Ukrainian women. We share a few options to get your exploration started below.

Algometry by Iryna Vikyrchak (translated by Nina Murray)

Algometry is a lyrical portrait of the generation of Ukrainians who grew up and were shaped by the common and individual painful inner and outer experiences, to become the most resilient and brave nation. Algometry is a term of physiology and neurology, but it is not the physical pain that is the recurring motif of the book: the speaker, a millennial woman who grew up in Western Ukraine in the 90s, takes us through the three thematic corridors emphasizing emotional sensitivity, hyper-empathy, and inner strength.

Ivan and Phoebe by Oksana Lutsyshyna (translated by Nina Murray)

Married couple Ivan and Phoebe grapple with questions about family, tragedy, and independence. Although protagonist Ivan tells the story, Phoebe’s voice rings through the text. The two reflect on the harrowing aftermath of revolution: torture at the hands of the KGB and each other. Ivan refuses to talk about his pain, while Phoebe recounts her past wounds through poetic monologues. The story bounces between politically charged cities like Kyiv and Lviv and Ivan’s small, traditional hometown of Uzhhorod. As characters come to exercise their rights to free speech and protest, they must also reevaluate the norms of marriage and home life. These initially appear to be spaces of peace and harmony but are soon revealed to be hotbeds of conflict and multigenerational trauma.

Love Life by Oksana Lutsyshyna (translated by Nina Murray)

Love Life, the second novel by the award-winning Ukrainian writer and poet Oksana Lutsyshyna, follows Yora, an immigrant to the United States from Ukraine. A delicate soul who is finely attuned to the nuances of human relations, Yora becomes enmeshed with Sebastian, a seductive acquaintance who suggests that they share a deep bond. But the relationship ends, sending her into a period of despair and grief. Full of mystic allusions, Love Life is a fascinating story of self-discovery amidst the complexities of adapting to a new life.

The God of Freedom by Yulia Musakovska (translated by Olena Jennings)

In Yuliya Musakovska’s newest poetry collection, The God of Freedom, she reveals, facet by facet, the landscape of a turbulent, contemporary Ukraine. Equal parts intimate and expansive, the poems follow the societal struggles of women and their families, the trauma of returning soldiers, and the peoples’ future under the shadow of war and its tumultuous past.

Cecil the Lion Had to Die by Olena Stiazhkina (translated by Dominique Hoffman)

In Cecil the Lion Had to Die, Olena Stiazhkina follows four families through radical transformations when the Soviet Union unexpectedly implodes, independent Ukraine emerges, and neoimperial Russia occupies Ukraine’s Crimea and parts of the Donbas. Just as Stiazhkina’s decision to transition to writing in Ukrainian as part of her civic stance–performed in this book that begins in Russian and ends in Ukrainian–the stark choices of family members take them in different directions, presenting a multifaceted and nuanced Donbas.

https://bookshop.org/p/books/cecil-the-lion-had-to-die-olena-stiazhkina/18801733

My Women by Yuliya Iliukha (translated by Hanna Leliv)

Yuliia Iliukha’s My Women, translated from Ukrainian by Hanna Leliv, is an urgent and poignant story collection of women confronted by the countless brutalities of war. It locates the voices and devastating experiences of those who have been silenced, those who have lost loved ones, those who have fought and persevered, and those who have broken down.

Forgottenness by Tanja Maljartschuk (translated by Zenia Tompkins)

An award-winning novel from one of Ukraine’s most prolific contemporary authors, Forgottenness tells a spellbinding story of belonging and uprootedness, as understood by two exiles across time.

A Crash Course in Molotov Cocktails by Halyna Kruk (translated by Amelia M Glaser and Yuliya Ilchuk)

These stunning poems of witness by one of Ukraine’s most revered poets are by turns breathless, philosophical, and visionary. Leading readers into the world’s darkest spaces, Kruk implies that the light of language can nevertheless afford some measure of protection. Naming serves as a shield, albeit a wooden one.

Lost in Living by Halyna Kruk (translated by Dzvinia Orlowsky and Ali Kinsella)

Lost in Living presents Halyna Kruk’s unpublished work from the immediate “pre-invasion” years when life in Ukraine was marked by turmoil but full-scale war was not yet normalized. In these “dear poems that don’t pain [her] like those about the war do,” Kruk uses imagery and tone to underscore poetic agency, at times juxtaposing figurative language with a calm, direct voice to bring her poems to life. Nature cannot be relied on to sustain nor renew, and life is shown to be fundamentally vulnerable.

The Museum of Abandoned Secrets by Oksana Zabuzhko (translated by Nina Murray)

Spanning sixty tumultuous years of Ukrainian history, this multigenerational saga weaves a dramatic and intricate web of love, sex, friendship, and death. At its center: three women linked by the abandoned secrets of the past–secrets that refuse to remain hidden.

Fieldwork in Ukrainian Sex by Oksana Zabuzhko (translated by Halyna Hryn)

Called “the most influential Ukrainian book for the 15 years of independence, Field Work in Ukrainian Sex by Oksana Zabuzhko is the tale of one woman’s personal revolt provoked by a top literary scandal of the decade.

Read. Share. Advocate.

Literature is a tool for amplifying Ukrainian voices – especially women’s voices during WiT Month. Read these books, share them, and use them in your advocacy.

Learn more about Ukrainian books at razomforukraine.org/razom-literature