Defending Ukraine’s Territorial Integrity Act

This bill says the United States will not accept Russia’s claims over parts of Ukraine. That includes Crimea and the areas of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia. It sets a clear policy that these places are part of Ukraine, not Russia.

It also blocks U.S. aid to any country’s central government if that country recognizes those regions as separate from Ukraine, sets up formal ties with them, or supports Russia’s takeover (annexation). The State Department must post a list of any such governments online. The Secretary of State can allow exceptions if doing so is judged to be in the U.S. national interest and explains why to Congress.

Key points

• Who is affected: Foreign governments that want U.S. assistance; U.S. agencies that provide foreign aid.
• What changes: The U.S. won’t fund governments that back Russia’s claims in Ukraine; a public list of those governments will be posted; limited waivers are possible with justification.
• Where: Focus on Crimea and the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine.