Defending Ukraine’s Territorial Integrity Act
The Defending Ukraine’s Territorial Integrity Act would codify a U.S. policy of not recognizing Russia’s sovereignty claims over any part of Ukraine occupied by Russian forces (including Crimea and the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts). It would prohibit federal funds from assisting the central government of any country that recognizes independence or established diplomatic relations with any region of Ukraine under Russian control, or that has taken steps to support Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territory. The act would require the Secretary of State to publish a list of such governments and would allow a national-interest waiver with justification. The aim is to deter other countries from legitimizing Russia’s actions in Ukraine and to reinforce support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Key Points
- 1Policy objective: Do not recognize Russia’s sovereignty over Ukrainian territory occupied by its forces, including Crimea and specified oblasts.
- 2Aid prohibition: No federal funds may be used to provide assistance to the central government of a country that recognizes independence of or has diplomatic relations with Russian-occupied Ukrainian regions, or that supports Russia’s annexation efforts.
- 3Publication requirement: The Secretary of State must publish on the State Department website a list of governments that meet the criteria.
- 4Waiver authority: The Secretary of State may waive the prohibition for a specific government if it is in the national interest of the United States, with a justification reported to relevant congressional committees.
- 5Congressional oversight: The relevant bodies are the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.