Ukraine Support Act
This bill helps Ukraine defend itself against Russia by increasing U.S. military loans to Ukraine, making it easier for shipping vessels to get war insurance to carry goods to and from Ukrainian ports, and creating a 100% tax on any money made from blocked Russian and Belarusian assets. It also forces the President to place heavy economic penalties on Russian leaders, financial systems, energy companies, and others if Russia continues its invasion or breaks a peace deal. Finally, the bill gives money to public broadcasting in the region and sets up a new plan to build more secure nuclear power networks in Europe to decrease reliance on Russian energy.
The provisions, in plain language.
Provides that NATO-owned, Ukrainian-owned, and other designated commercial cargo vessels importing or exporting goods to or from Ukraine are eligible for U.S. government war risk insurance and reinsurance for five years.
Extends the authority of the President to lend or lease defense articles to Ukraine and Eastern European countries under the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act through fiscal year 2028.
Authorizes up to $8,000,000,000 in direct military loans through fiscal year 2026 for Ukraine and NATO allies under the Arms Export Control Act, funded by repurposed foreign military financing balances.
Triggers sweeping mandatory sanctions if the President determines that Russia is actively waging a war of aggression, refusing to negotiate, or violating a peace agreement with Ukraine.
Prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in any transactions involving new sovereign debt issued by the Russian government, including government bonds, starting 30 days after a positive war-of-aggression determination.
Restricts the export, reexport, or transfer of foreign-made items to Russia if they are the direct products of U.S. software or technology, using a regulatory presumption of export-control coverage.
Increases the import duty rate for all goods and services imported into the United States from Russia to a minimum of 500 percent ad valorem within 15 days of a positive war-of-aggression determination.
Imposes a 100 percent withholding tax on all interest and dividends payable on blocked assets belonging to the governments of Russia and Belarus, overriding any conflicting U.S. treaty obligations.
Expands the mandate of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to prioritize or explicitly authorize development support in Ukraine.
Establishes the Insurance for Ukraine Initiative in the Department of State to promote Ukraine's economic recovery, coordinate war risk insurance with the private sector, facilitate grain exports, and report annually to Congress.
Establishes a Special Coordinator for Ukrainian Reconstruction within the Department of State to coordinate multi-agency recovery efforts and work with the DFC to mobilize private capital for Ukraine.
Authorizes $250,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty to expand Russian-language investigative journalism and counter foreign disinformation.
Directs the Secretary of State to prioritize Countering Russian Influence Fund allocations for helping Ukraine detect and combat Russian disinformation and to submit a formal counter-disinformation plan to Congress.
Requires the Secretary of State to submit an annual report to Congress detailing the use of any funds made available from the Ukrainian Reconstruction Trust Fund.
Directs the Secretary of State to submit a strategy to Congress to strengthen U.S.-European nuclear energy cooperation, promote U.S. nuclear exports, and reduce Europe's dependence on Russian nuclear fuel and reactor designs.
Authorizes $30,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2025 through 2029 to support capacity-building and nuclear project support in Europe to counter Russian influence.
Directs the Secretary of State to build the military and border security capacity of Baltic countries, authorizing $30,000,000 in foreign military financing grants and $4,000,000 for demining and anti-terrorism programs for each Baltic country for fiscal years 2026 through 2028.
Extends the authorization for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through December 31, 2027.
Requires the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, to submit a report to Congress every 90 days detailing military contributions to Ukraine from allied countries and identifying Ukraine's current operational needs.
Requires the Director of National Intelligence to submit a quarterly classified report to Congress detailing U.S. intelligence sharing and coordination with Ukrainian military and intelligence services.
Requires the President, upon a positive war-of-aggression determination, to block all property transactions for at least three major Russian financial institutions (such as Sberbank, VTB, or Gazprombank) and their subsidiaries.
Requires the President, upon a positive war-of-aggression determination, to block all property transactions for Russian companies operating in the oil, gas, coal, or mineral extraction and processing sectors.
Requires the President, upon a positive war-of-aggression determination, to block all property and cancel the U.S. visas of senior Russian government, military, and intelligence officials.
Requires the President, upon a positive war-of-aggression determination, to block all property and cancel the U.S. visas of any foreign person participating in the construction, maintenance, or repair of any tunnel or bridge connecting the Russian mainland with occupied Crimea.
Requires the President, upon a positive war-of-aggression determination, to impose property-blocking and visa sanctions on foreign persons who have endangered the safety or operational control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station.
Requires the President, upon a positive war-of-aggression determination, to impose property-blocking and visa sanctions on Rosatom, its subsidiaries, and any foreign person facilitating nuclear reactor construction transactions with Rosatom.
Requires the President, upon a positive war-of-aggression determination, to impose property-blocking and visa sanctions on any foreign vessel transporting Russian oil above the price cap established by G7 nations.
Requires the President, upon a positive war-of-aggression determination, to block the property of any global financial communication service (such as SWIFT) that does not cut off blacklisted Russian financial institutions.
Requires the President, upon a positive war-of-aggression determination, to impose property-blocking and visa sanctions on foreign persons, vessels, and financial institutions that facilitate arms transfers, material support, or logistics from North Korea to Russia.
Requires the President, upon a positive war-of-aggression determination, to impose property-blocking and visa sanctions on any foreign person who directed or participated in the kidnapping and forced deportation of Ukrainian children.
Requires the Secretaries of Commerce, State, and Defense to develop parallel export-control strategies and military options to prevent Iran from acquiring U.S. microelectronics (such as microcontrollers, microprocessors, and GPS modules) used in unmanned aircraft systems.
Amends the Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act to expand the import ban to include all mineral fuels, mineral oils, and products of their distillation.
Requires the President to submit a report to Congress before removing, waiving, or licensing any sanctions or export controls against Russia, and establishes a fast-track congressional review process under which Congress can block the proposed relief by joint resolution.
Who it helps · who it burdens.
Who it helps
- Owners of NATO-owned, Ukrainian-owned, and other designated commercial cargo vesselsEligible for U.S. government war risk insurance and reinsurance for five years when importing or exporting cargo to or from Ukraine [2].
- Government of UkraineReceives expanded development support prioritization from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) [1], and is eligible for direct military loans [11] and defense article lend-leases [10].
- Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)Authorized to receive $250,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 to expand Russian-language investigative journalism, counter disinformation, and potentially open new bureaus [5].
- Baltic countriesAuthorized to receive $30,000,000 in foreign military financing grants and $4,000,000 for demining and anti-terrorism programs annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2028 [12].
- NATO alliesEligible for direct military loans under the Arms Export Control Act through fiscal year 2026 [11] and defense article lend-leases through fiscal year 2028 [10].
Who it burdens
- Foreign exporters of U.S.-technology direct products to RussiaSubject to export restrictions on foreign-made items that are direct products of U.S. software or technology destined for Russia [28].
- Senior Russian government, military, and intelligence officialsSubject to mandatory property-blocking and visa-revocation sanctions if the President determines Russia is actively waging a war of aggression, refusing to negotiate, or violating a peace agreement [16, 19].
- Major Russian financial institutions and their subsidiariesSubject to mandatory property-blocking sanctions upon a positive war-of-aggression determination [16, 17].
- Russian energy and mineral extraction companiesSubject to mandatory property-blocking sanctions upon a positive war-of-aggression determination [16, 18].
- Foreign persons building or repairing the Crimean bridge or tunnelSubject to property-blocking and visa-revocation sanctions if they participate in constructing, maintaining, or repairing a tunnel or bridge connecting the Russian mainland with occupied Crimea [20].
- Foreign persons endangering the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power StationSubject to property-blocking and visa-revocation sanctions if they endanger the safety or operational control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station [21].
- Rosatom and its subsidiariesSubject to property-blocking and visa-revocation sanctions upon a positive war-of-aggression determination [22].
- Foreign vessel operators violating the Russian oil price capSubject to property-blocking and visa-revocation sanctions if they knowingly transport Russian oil above the G7 price cap [23].
- Global financial messaging servicesSubject to property-blocking sanctions if they do not cut off financial messaging services to blacklisted Russian financial institutions [24].
- U.S. persons investing in Russian sovereign debtProhibited from transacting in new sovereign debt issued by the Russian government starting 30 days after a positive war-of-aggression determination [25].
- Foreign persons and financial institutions supporting North Korean arms transfers to RussiaSubject to property-blocking and visa-revocation sanctions for facilitating arms transfers, material support, or logistics from North Korea to Russia [26].
- Foreign persons participating in the abduction of Ukrainian childrenSubject to property-blocking and visa-revocation sanctions for directing or participating in the kidnapping and forced deportation of Ukrainian children [27].
- U.S. importers of Russian goods and servicesSubject to a minimum 500 percent ad valorem tariff on all goods and services imported into the United States from Russia within 15 days of a positive war-of-aggression determination [30].
- U.S. importers of Russian mineral fuels and oilsSubject to an expanded import ban that includes all mineral fuels, mineral oils, and products of their distillation [31].
Who backs it
- Governments of Russia and BelarusSubject to a 100 percent withholding tax on all interest and dividends payable on their blocked assets in the United States [32].
- U.S. Department of State (repurposed Foreign Military Financing balances)Finances up to $8,000,000,000 in direct military loans for Ukraine and NATO allies [11].