US Congress Can Help Deliver Some Justice to Ukraine – Now!

Originally posted in the Kyiv Post

Putin and Trump have been trying to channel some of Russia’s frozen assets back to Moscow or into the US president’s Board of Peace scheme. This must not be allowed.

As the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches, it is clear that President Donald J. Trump is not serious about negotiating with Russia for peace in Ukraine from a position of strength. If he was, by now the president would have bolstered Ukraine’s supply of US weapons, worked more closely with NATO to defend Europe, and provided free money to Ukraine. He has not.

That free money – not US taxpayers’ funds – is the US portion of roughly $300 billion in immobilized Russian sovereign assets within US jurisdiction. The US Congress can intervene now to help Ukraine and deliver some justice on behalf of the people of the United States.

In October 2024, pursuant to new legislation, the United States publicly admitted to at least $5 billion in unused Russian central banks reserves at the New York Federal Reserve Bank. There are more funds here, but for some unexplained reason, the US Treasury decided to classify the total remaining amount. Without full access to all pertinent information, two separate expert reports estimate there could be as much as $50 billion within the President’s discretionary grasp to potentially aid Ukraine.

To date, President Trump has not used his discretionary power to transfer those funds to Ukraine. Last October, his administration failed to transmit to Congress legally mandated reports on these dormant Russian funds. Until only recently, he was silent on Russian assets, notwithstanding his occasional bluster about being tough on Russia by imposing more economic sanctions and then retreating.

One plausible explanation is that Trump has other designs on those assets. Under both customary international law and now US law, these assets could be seized and transferred to Ukraine as countervailing measures for Russia’s illegal invasion of a sovereign neighbor in violation of the UN Charter. These Russian assets are not Trump’s assets to use or barter as he wishes to advance his interests or larger political agenda.

The first time these Russian assets appeared as an issue for Trump publicly was Nov. 20, 2026, in the 28-point so-called “peace plan” negotiated by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kirill Dmitriev. Point 14 of the 28 points had an explicit plan to use at least a portion of the full $300 billion in Russian assets for Ukraine’s reconstruction. There also was an explicit agreement that the United States would profit from those assets, which rightfully are claimed by Ukraine under international law as partial compensation for damages from Russia’s ongoing atrocities.

There is no provision in the authorizing legislation for the United States or the president to profit from transferring Russia’s assets to Ukraine. The United States has no legal claim to those assets. Ukraine’s and Europe’s 20-point peace plan counterproposal on Nov. 23 understandably omitted Point 14.

Then, President Trump unveiled his so-called “Board of Peace” at the Davos World Economic Forum. The topic of using Russian assets mysteriously appeared again, only this time raised by Putin, a war criminal himself.

On Jan. 22, 2026, Putin brazenly stated in a Kremlin meeting on Gaza with Palestinian authorities that he could become a permanent member of now Chairman Trump’s new board by contributing $1 billion from his frozen US funds. Trump acknowledged Putin’s comment when queried by a reporter: “Yeah, it’s fine. He’s using his money.”

Enough.

Rather than allow these immobilized assets to be used by Trump and Putin as a high-stakes bargaining chip in any negotiated peace settlement, Congress needs to intervene before these assets are put back in play. It can legislatively mandate their seizure and transfer to help Ukraine militarily and financially.

An easy to understand, one-sentence bill should be introduced on a bipartisan basis in Congress and then passed under expedited procedures by amending current law to state unequivocally that: “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of the Treasury shall seize all Russian sovereign assets within US jurisdiction for immediate transfer to the Government of Ukraine for its use and benefit without restrictions.”

There still is strong, bipartisan support simmering in Congress to help Ukraine in its time of great need. Over Trump’s objections, additional military assistance is currently being debated to bolster Ukraine’s defense. Tougher economic sanctions to weaken Russia’s already precarious economy and accelerate assets transfer to Ukraine have been passed overwhelmingly by one Congressional committee and other new measures are awaiting floor votes that Trump effectively is blocking at the moment.

It’s time for Congress to act as an equal but separate branch of the US government. It should pass this simple amendment with veto-proof, bipartisan majorities to mandate help for Ukraine and, by extension, Europe – at no cost to taxpayers. Using frozen Russian money to aid Ukraine in the face of relentless Russian aggression, nightly terror of civilians, and destruction of its energy infrastructure in the middle of a harsh winter is the justice Ukraine deserves.

Congress has the power to deliver that justice to Ukraine by making Putin pay for Russia’s wrongful acts under international law.

(Photo credit: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)