Ukraine's Parliament Speaker Makes Sanctions Case On Capitol Hill, Warns Against Prolonged Talks

WASHINGTON -- Ukraine’s parliamentary speaker spent February 6 on Capitol Hill making the case to US lawmakers that tougher sanctions enforcement remains central to Kyiv’s effort to blunt Russia’s war as it grinds toward a fifth year.

Ruslan Stefanchuk, the speaker of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada, is visiting Washington as part of Ukraine Week 2026, holding meetings with senior members of Congress as Kyiv seeks to sustain US political support nearly five years into Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Stefanchuk met with House Speaker Mike Johnson (Rep.) and other officials to discuss sanctions, financial assistance, and military support for Ukraine.

He also held talks earlier in the week with the Senate Budget Committee chairman, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, whose bipartisan sanctions proposal has yet to advance in Congress.

“Sanctions are extremely important when we are talking about ending this war,” Stefanchuk told RFE/RL in an interview through an interpreter.

He said sanctions pressure must limit Russia’s ability to finance its military campaign and close loopholes that allow Moscow to bypass existing restrictions.

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Stefanchuk specifically pointed to Russia’s use of a so-called shadow fleet to continue exporting energy products despite Western sanctions, saying enforcement gaps undermine the overall pressure campaign.

“When it comes to sanctions, it’s very important to make sure that these sanctions are just and hellish for Russia,” he said, adding that Kyiv is less concerned with new sanctions packages than with the effectiveness of existing measures.

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During his meetings, Stefanchuk also raised the issue of Ukrainian children abducted by Russian forces -- a subject he said was discussed with Speaker Johnson.

According to estimates by the Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab, up to 35,000 Ukrainian children may have been taken to Russia since the war began.

“This question is extremely important for Ukraine,” Stefanchuk said, expressing confidence that US lawmakers understand the issue’s humanitarian and moral significance.

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In December, Congress passed the Abducted Ukrainian Children Recovery and Accountability Act as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, restoring a State Department program to help Ukraine track the children.

Stefanchuk also addressed Russia’s attacks on civilian infrastructure while speaking at the 20th Ukrainian Prayer Breakfast in Washington, accusing Moscow of deliberately targeting Ukraine’s energy system during winter.

“The destruction of energy infrastructure during extreme cold is deliberate terror against civilians,” he said, describing it as a weapon rather than a military necessity.

SEE ALSO: Zelenskyy Says US Wants War Ended By Summer As Russia Hits Ukraine's Power Grid

Asked by RFE/RL about concerns that prolonged peace negotiations could weaken Western resolve while Russia continues its daily attacks, Stefanchuk said Ukraine appreciates US President Donald Trump’s stated intention to pursue peace but stressed that any settlement must prevent future Russian aggression.

“Ukraine wants a just and lasting peace,” he said. “A peace that would make sure that Russia has no opportunity to attack Ukraine after any kind of treaties or agreements are signed.”

Stefanchuk emphasized that Ukraine has consistently demonstrated a willingness to pursue diplomatic solutions and noted that Ukrainian negotiators are working closely with US counterparts.

At the same time, he said Russia is using negotiations to delay progress and create skepticism among Ukraine’s partners.

“That’s why it’s extremely important that the United States demonstrate clear steps,” he said, adding that continued US engagement is critical to ensuring the process does not stall.

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Despite bipartisan support for Ukraine-related legislation, movement in Congress has been slow.

While Graham said earlier this month that the White House had signaled support for his sanctions package, neither his office nor Blumenthal’s has provided a timeline.

In the House, Democrats have gathered 217 signatures on a discharge petition to force a vote on a bipartisan Ukraine Support Act -- one short of the number required.

Last week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced the Shadow Fleet Sanctions Act, aimed at tightening enforcement against Russia’s energy exports, signaling continued, if incremental, congressional engagement on the issue.

Even as bipartisan support for Ukraine remains on paper, the slow pace of congressional action has sharpened concerns in Kyiv that delay, rather than diplomacy, is working in Moscow’s favor -- a calculation Ukrainian officials say Washington will ultimately have to confront.