[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 421 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 421
Urging the executive branch and leaders of the G7 and the European
Union to seize sovereign assets of the Russian Federation under the
jurisdiction of members of the G7 and disburse such assets to Ukraine
in tranches of not less than $10,000,000,000 United States dollars per
month until expended.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 29, 2025
Mr. Kennedy (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Graham, and Mr.
Whitehouse) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Urging the executive branch and leaders of the G7 and the European
Union to seize sovereign assets of the Russian Federation under the
jurisdiction of members of the G7 and disburse such assets to Ukraine
in tranches of not less than $10,000,000,000 United States dollars per
month until expended.
Whereas, since the illegal invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, the
Russian Federation has committed widespread attacks on civilians
amounting to crimes against humanity, including--
(1) widespread, systemic, and deliberate targeting of civilians by
drones where civilians have been targeted for attack while going about
their daily lives outside, and ambulances were struck while attempting to
provide medical assistance;
(2) documented war crimes, including extrajudicial killings and torture
of civilians and prisoners of war that are systemic and widespread
throughout areas controlled by the Russian Federation;
(3) rape and sexual violence committed by Russian soldiers against male
and female civilians and prisoners of war; and
(4) the illegal transfer of Ukrainian children to at least 210
different facilities inside the Russian Federation or areas controlled by
the Russian Federation where the children are subjected to re-education and
militarization;
Whereas the humanitarian costs of the invasion of Ukraine have been enormous,
including--
(1) approximately 14,000 documented deaths of civilians, and more than
35,458 documented civilian casualties, including 700 children killed and
2,200 children injured since the start of the war;
(2) an estimated 120,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed or missing in
action;
(3) displacement of more than 10,000,000 people, with 3,600,000
displaced within Ukraine and 6,900,000 seeking refuge abroad; and
(4) indiscriminate shelling and bombing in population centers leading
to the destruction of critical civilian infrastructure that will cost an
estimated $524,000,000,000 to rebuild;
Whereas the conduct of the Russian Federation has not only harmed Ukraine but
violates Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter requiring states to
refrain from the use of force against the territorial integrity or
political independence of any state;
Whereas the principle of state responsibility under international law holds that
a state committing an internationally wrongful act is obligated to make
full reparation for the injury caused;
Whereas the legal doctrine of countermeasures under customary international law
permits targeted and proportionate responses to serious breaches of
international obligations, including the use of seized sovereign assets
to repair harm caused by such breaches;
Whereas, in response to the illegal aggression by the Russian Federation,
members of the G7 imposed sanctions and froze Russian sovereign assets
but have fallen short of confiscating such assets;
Whereas the continued passive freezing of Russian sovereign assets without a
clear mechanism for permanent seizure and repurposing fails to uphold
the principle of accountability and undermines the deterrent value of
economic sanctions;
Whereas, in 2024, Congress passed the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and
Opportunity for Ukrainians Act (22 U.S.C. 9521 note; Public Law 118-
50)(commonly known as the ``REPO for Ukrainians Act'') to establish a
domestic legal framework for the seizure and transfer of Russian
sovereign assets;
Whereas the United States, every member of the European Union, and all but one
member of the G7 are participating states of the Organization for
Security and Co-operation in Europe;
Whereas, on July 3, 2025, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for
Security and Co-operation in Europe adopted unanimously in plenary
session the Porto Declaration, which ``[c]alls on OSCE participating
States to unlock the full value of an estimated [$300,000,000,000 United
States dollars] in Russian sovereign assets frozen across the region by
repurposing the underlying principal, in sizeable increments and on a
regular and timely schedule, for Ukraine until the Russian Federation
ends its aggression and agrees to compensate Ukraine for damages
directly resulting from the war'';
Whereas the implementation of such seizure requires robust coordination with
international partners to mitigate legal, diplomatic, and financial
risks and to maximize legitimacy and effectiveness;
Whereas allied hesitation and lack of harmonized frameworks have impeded
progress toward the actual transfer of such assets; and
Whereas it is in the strategic and moral interest of the United States to lead
an international coalition in converting immobilized Russian sovereign
assets into a funding mechanism for the recovery and global security of
Ukraine: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) determines that the Russian Federation bears full
financial responsibility for the harm caused by its unlawful
war of aggression against Ukraine, and the assets of the
Russian Federation should be used to satisfy that
responsibility;
(2) remains steadfast in its support for the sovereignty,
independence, and right to self-defense of Ukraine, and
believes all available diplomatic, legal, and economic tools
should be leveraged to hold the Russian Federation accountable;
(3) recommends that the executive branch advocate
internationally that--
(A) the violation of international law by the
Russian Federation removes its entitlement to sovereign
immunity protections over assets located abroad, under
the doctrine of countermeasures;
(B) international law and precedent provide a legal
basis for permanent confiscation of state-owned assets
in response to grave violations of the international
order; and
(C) the seizure of assets is a legitimate means of
supporting the reconstruction of Ukraine and deterring
future acts of aggression by other states;
(4) strongly urges all countries with sovereign assets of
the Russian Federation under their jurisdiction--
(A) to pursue harmonization of domestic legal
authorities to provide their governments with seizure
powers equivalent to the powers granted by the
Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for
Ukrainians Act (22 U.S.C. 9521 note; Public Law 118-
50);
(B) to partner with the United States to develop
and implement a multilateral sovereign asset
repurposing fund that facilitates the lawful seizure
and repurposing of Russian sovereign assets for the
benefit of Ukraine; and
(C) to confiscate such assets and allocate them to
Ukraine in tranches of not less than $10,000,000,000
United States dollars per month until the funds are
expended to support the defense of Ukraine against the
Russian Federation; and
(5) calls on the President, the Secretary of State, and the
Secretary of Defense to pressure any country with sovereign
assets of the Russian Federation within their jurisdiction to
confiscate such assets by--
(A) prioritizing the sale of United States weapons
to countries that are found to have sovereign assets of
the Russian Federation within their jurisdiction, and
which have seized and distributed the assets to a fund
for Ukraine; and
(B) deprioritizing the sale of United States
weapons to countries that are found to have sovereign
assets of the Russian Federation within their
jurisdiction and have not seized and distributed the
assets to a fund for Ukraine.
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