The United States Must Negotiate With Russia With Strength, Not Weakness

Since the most recent attempt by the Administration to “negotiate” an overdue peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine has apparently failed again, it may be time for President Donald Trump to rethink his strategy to end Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against its sovereign neighbor. If he even has a strategy. Regardless, the President needs to end his policy of weakness when it comes to punishing Russia and helping Ukraine by adopting a more productive, self-interested U.S. position of genuine strength.

During his last presidential campaign, President Trump promised to end this horrific war on his first day in office based on his delusional relationship with the Russian despot and war criminal Vladimir Putin. He did not.

Since he took office, Trump’s policies have provided only the bare minimum munitions and materiel already in the pipeline for Ukraine. He has not asked for any new military security assistance. His de minimis strategy only accelerates U.S. weakness and, by extension, weakens Ukraine and strengthens Russia our common adversary. His failed policy is counterproductive at this existential moment facing Ukraine ahead of another brutal winter of daily deadly Russian war crimes against civilians and civil infrastructure.

On the first day of his second term, President Trump could have invoked his sweeping powers under current law to punish Russia and help Ukraine, but he did not. He could have used both the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act (REPO Act), respectively, to impose additional crippling economic sanctions on Russia and seize Russian sovereign assets immobilized in the United States since 2022 to benefit Ukraine. To date, he has not.

If President Trump will not step up and help Ukraine after his latest failed peace initiative, then Congress must. It has the power to reassert its constitutional powers and reverse his failures by dramatically repositioning U.S. assistance to Ukraine at no cost to U.S. taxpayers.

Building on current law, there are two broadly bipartisan bills pending at the desk of House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) that would materially aid Ukraine and punish Russia, which has entered the Middle East war as a belligerent on the side of Iran against U.S. interests in the region. One bill imposes potentially game-changing sanctions on Russia. The other mandates the seizure of languishing Russian funds to enable Ukraine to buy defensive weapons.

The first bill is the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 (Graham bill), which imposes significant new economic sanctions on Russia, adds problematic new tariffs on Russia’s top five energy partners, and extends current sanctions on Iran. Introduced by South Carolina’s new Senator Darline Graham in memory of her late brother and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), this legislation passed the U.S. Senate on August 7 by the overwhelming, veto-proof vote of 86 to 11. It also has been introduced by former House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Mike McCaul (R-TX) and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD).

The second bill is the Preventing the Escalation of Armed Conflict in Europe Act of 2025 (PEACE Act). The PEACE Act includes additional financial and energy sanctions, but more immediately it mandates the secretary of the U.S. Treasury transfer all currently immobilized Russian sovereign assets within U.S. jurisdiction to Ukraine. This amounts to at least $5 billion at the Federal Reserve and likely much more held in the broad U.S. financial system. Importantly, it also authorizes Ukraine to purchase “defensive articles” – for example, desperately needed interceptors – with those transferred Russian funds.

This legislation was introduced in 2025 by Reps. Zach Nunn (R-IA) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ). Under the leadership of Chairman French Hill (R-AR), it passed the House Financial Services Committee more than one year ago by another overwhelming bipartisan vote – 53 to 1. This committee vote projects into a veto-proof vote House floor vote, if such a vote is ever allowed by Republican leadership.

The PEACE Act meets Ukraine’s existential moment now. It can have a meaningful impact on Ukraine’s current defensive posture and future negotiating position for peace from a position of much greater financial and military strength. The Graham bill helps the United States impose new sanctions that can help strangle the Russian economy over time if fully implemented and enforced.

If the President won’t act, then Congress must act on behalf of the United States to fill the strategic policy vacuum Trump’s failures have produced. The House Republican leadership just needs to find the political will regardless of the upcoming elections to act decisively without further delay. Not only will this legislation greatly assist Ukraine in its hour of need and bolster the Ukraine-U.S. negotiating posture, but it also sends a strong signal to our allies and adversaries alike about the severe consequences of wrongful acts of aggression and unending war crimes.

(Photo credit: AP Photo/Francisco Seco)