1/5/26 – Ukraine Today .org
An update from Senator Chuck Grassley
This is a letter I received from the U.S. Senate Finance Committee chairman in response to some questions I asked him for Ukraine Today .org. Hopefully this letter will clear up some discussions about what is happening in the United States to help Ukraine rid the world of the ruSSki mir.
If there are any questions about this letter, leave them in the Comments section and I will try to answer them or ask further questions of the Senator. In my opinion, this is a better way to get informed rather than just getting comfortable news only from sources we agree with which only leads to ignorance and then to hate. Here is the letter:
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| January 5, 2026 Dear (Red): Thank you for taking the time to contact me with your support for Ukraine against Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion. I share your support. I have heard many concerns about ceasefire proposal that has been floated to end Russia’s war on Ukraine. I certainly want peace, and nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainian people. Under the U.S. Constitution, international negotiations are the President’s responsibility, but, from my standpoint, I do not believe it is for the United States alone to negotiate the fate of Ukraine. In the wake of the revelations of the horrific mass shootings, torture, and rape of civilians in Russian occupied areas, Ukrainians overwhelmingly oppose ceding any territory to Russia. It is hard to envision Putin agreeing to a non-aggressive, stable, and permanent peace that results in an independent, democratic Ukraine when Putin’s stated aim, which he repeats constantly, to wipe out Ukrainian national identity, which is in fact widely held throughout Ukraine, including in predominantly Russian-speaking areas. However, I hope that I am wrong. This ceasefire deal has been in the weeds for weeks now undergoing continued negotiation and talks with all interested parties. You can rest assured, I am continuing to monitor ongoing developments, and hope that peace can be obtained soon. However, that peace should be careful to specifically protect the sovereignty of an independent and democratic Ukraine. Any deal that rewards aggression will only invite more. At this time, I want to be clear on my position. I have had a long-standing commitment to supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and security as they fight for their independence and way of life in the face of brutal Russian aggression. Over the years, I have consistently supported legislation to provide aid to Ukraine, strengthened sanctions against Russia, and advanced policies to hold Putin and his regime accountable for their aggression. I have also worked to ensure that the United States continues to stand with the Ukrainian people as they defend their freedom and democracy. I certainly want to see an end to the war waged on Ukraine, and I support calls for the United States to stand firm in its unwavering support for Ukraine to push Russia back into its borders. In fact, you may be interested to know that I am receiving the Order of Merit of the Second Class from President Zelensky, which recognizes the work I’ve led in this area.You may also be pleased to know that I met with President Zelenskyy on February 28, 2025, as part of a senatorial delegation, and reaffirmed my long-held position that Putin is a dictator who is not interested in giving up his imperial ambitions. I have consistently called for Presidents Biden and now Trump to demonstrate strength in the face of Russian aggression. For instance, after the barrage of missiles launched by Russia into Kyiv on the night of April 23-24, 2025, the largest launch since July of 2024, I urged President Trump to place the toughest sanctions on the brutal thug Putin. This was consistent with my previous statements on the Senate floor and on social media, and I have reiterated this sentiment on social media and on the Senate floor, for instance https://x.com/ChuckGrassley/status/1926990590161358951 and https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/remarks/grassley-celebrates-the-anniversary-of-reagans-speech-at-berlin-wall-calls-for-sanctions-on-russia While I wish sanctions would have been implemented sooner, even before the full-scale invasion as a deterrence measure, I am supportive of the aggressive action the U.S. has taken against Russia since its initial attack in 2022. Following the numerous sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and our international allies, the Russian ruble plummeted in value. However, the ruble has since rebounded, indicating that international sanctions to date have not been sufficient to cripple the Russian economy. I believe President Trump has the ability to turn this around by placing the toughest sanctions we have seen on Russia to date. The Senate is poised to soon consider a bipartisan package of tough sanctions on Russia devised by Senators Graham and Blumenthal, of which I am an original cosponsor. For more information about the current U.S. sanctions against Russia, you can visit the Department of Treasury website at: https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/sanctions-programs-and-country-information/ukraine-russia-related-sanctions. You may also be interested to know that I am a cosponsor of S.2918, the REPO Implementation Act. This bill was introduced by Senator Whitehouse before being referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. It has since been reported out of Committee and placed on the legislative calendar. The REPO Implementation Act builds off the REPO for Ukrainians Act, which was signed into law in April 2024. The REPO for Ukrainians Act, which I also cosponsored, provides additional assistance to Ukraine using confiscated Russian sovereign assets. I remain hopeful that the REPO Implementation Act will pass so it can support Ukraine in getting regular investments from Russian assets. You can read more about the bill here: https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-colleagues-introduce-bipartisan-repo-implementation-act-to-repurpose-russian-assets-and-support-ukraine. I am also an original co-sponsor on S.1241, the Sanctioning Russia Act. This bill was introduced by Senator Graham before being referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. If enacted, it would impose sanctions and other measures with respect to the Russian Federation if the Government of the Russian Federation refuses to negotiate a peace agreement with Ukraine, violates any such agreement, or initiates another military invasion of Ukraine. More than 80 Senators have co-sponsored this bill showing the wide bi-partisan support it holds. You can read the bill text here: https://www.congress.gov/119/bills/s1241/BILLS-119s1241is.pdf. While there has been a lot of rhetoric about Ukraine, what I am concerned about is policy. I criticized President Trump during his first administration when he made comments that were weak toward Russia, but President Trump did reverse the Obama policy of refusing lethal aid to Ukraine. That said, I previously gave a speech that criticized actions by Presidents on both sides of the aisle that I think sent inappropriate, if unintentional, signals of weakness. You can view that speech here: https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/remarks/grassley-warns-of-weakness-in-us-foreign-policy. More recently, on the three-year anniversary of Russia’s brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine, I gave a speech about how I would approach the current situation: https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/remarks/grassley-reaffirms-support-for-ukraine-on-senate-floor. I believe we must stand up to Putin’s aggression. I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of S.Res.91, introduced by Senator Shaheen, which acknowledges the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion and expresses support for the people of Ukraine. It also commends NATO, the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, and the international community for their continued efforts to support Ukraine’s defense and the protection of human rights on its territory. You can read more about this at: https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-joins-bipartisan-resolution-supporting-ukraine-as-conflict-enters-its-third-year. I also remain gravely concerned that around 20,000 Ukrainian children that we know of have been abducted by Russia. That is why I joined in leading a bi-partisan letter to the Department of State requesting immediate clarification of the status and future of the State Department’s partnership with Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab https://www.grassley.senate.gov/download/letter-to-the-dos. The Trump administration has since announced that it would temporarily reinstate funding to “allow the program implementers to ensure the proper transfer of the critical data on the children to the appropriate authorities”. On May 20, I introduced a Senate resolution, S.Res.236, with several of my colleagues calling for the return of kidnapped Ukrainian children prior to any final peace agreement. You can learn more about this resolution by visiting: https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-klobuchar-lead-bipartisan-resolution-calling-for-return-of-kidnapped-ukrainian-children-prior-to-any-final-peace-agreement. In June, I joined Senator Klobuchar in introducing S.2119, legislation to ensure that the United States continues to provide resources and technical assistance in locating and retrieving abducted Ukrainian children, as well as holding accountable those who assisted in their abduction. You can learn more here: https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-klobuchar-introduce-legislation-to-increase-support-for-identifying-and-returning-kidnapped-ukrainian-children. To date, the United States has only spent roughly 5% of the US military’s own budget. Ukraine remains in control of roughly 83% of its territory and U.S. intelligence believes the war has severely degraded Russia’s military power and its ability to threaten NATO allies. In fact, according to defense calculations, at the current rate, it would cost Russia 39 million soldiers, and take 83 years to reach the capital in Kyiv. This is certainly reflective of the will of Ukrainians and allies alike who wish to stand up against Russia. Unless the West abandons support to Ukraine, it is hard to see how Russian can achieve its repeatedly stated goal of toppling the elected government of Ukraine and installing a pro-Russian puppet government. If the United States and our NATO allies allow Putin to succeed in any way in his unjust war against Ukraine, then it will only encourage Putin to ignore the borders of other sovereign nations and jeopardize our national security. Equipping Ukrainian forces with effective military equipment will bolster their efforts to push back Russia and defend their nation. Failure to do so, as in the case of the invasion and occupation of parts of Georgia in 2008, and Ukraine in 2014, will simply provoke further aggression. To learn more about all the actions I have taken to stand against Putin’s aggression, you can visit my website at: https://www.grassley.senate.gov/grassley-leads-efforts-to-support-ukraine-punish-russia. I certainly support the efforts by the United States and NATO allies to strengthen our alliance and to support Ukraine. If Putin is able to gain territory or anything he did not have before, it will only encourage future aggression. As Putin continues to choose to inflict his unjust war against Ukraine, I will certainly keep your comments in mind regarding U.S. foreign policy with Russia and Ukraine. Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. Please keep in touch. Sincerely,  Chuck Grassley United States Senator |
More on the REPO act:
The REPO Implementation Act of 2025 would:
Transfer the estimated $5 billion in frozen Russian sovereign assets under United States jurisdiction to an interest-bearing account;
Encourage the president to repurpose at least $250 million from that account to benefit Ukraine every 90 days;
Encourage the Secretary of State (in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury) to implement a robust, sustained diplomatic campaign to persuade U.S. allies to begin repurposing at least five percent (approximately $15 billion) in Russian sovereign assets to benefit Ukraine every 90 days;
Require reports on Russian sovereign assets held outside of the United States; and
Effectuate technical corrections to the original REPO for Ukrainians Act.
If Europe could also do this, their interest payments to Ukraine could be $15B every 90 days. Something else I suggested for the Senator is to prevent the Moskali getting any of their frozen assets and also any removal of any foreign security forces until Ukraine has received the full amount of reparations.
Announcement from the Foreign Relations committee about REPO 2.0:
https://www.foreign.senate.gov/press/rep/release/risch-whitehouse-colleagues-introduce-bipartisan-repo-implementation-act
Full text of the “REPO for Ukrainians Implementation Act of 2025”:
Click to access ROS25H57.pdf
It all sounds very nice…
“The Senate is poised to soon consider a bipartisan package of tough sanctions on Russia devised by Senators Graham and Blumenthal, of which I am an original cosponsor.”
Soon? That’s the bill that Senate Majority Leader John Thune put on hold 6 months ago because TACO said he might act if putler doesn’t make peace. Then TACO gave putler 50 days. And of course kept giving him more time, while the Republican-led Congress kept deferring to trumpkov rather than acting like a co-equal branch of government.
You just can’t stop yourself from the partisanship can you? You make putin proud. And for your question, there is a debate (notice I am not taking a side) on the Constitutional rights of foreign policy; whether it belongs with Congress or the Executive branch. Also on whether or not a declaration of war is needed for small/temporary usage of the military, like what Obama did with Lebanon, Clinton did with Kosovo and Bush did with Iraq.
What did Obama do in Lebanon that is similar to what Taco did in Venezuela?
Clinton was acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, when the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1199. How is this even remotely comparable to Trump’s illegal act of war in Venezuela?
Bush acted in accordance with our laws. In October 1998, removing the Iraqi government became official US foreign policy with the enactment of the Iraq Liberation Act, introduced and passed by Congress as H.R.4655.
Where is Trump’s congressional approval?
Why are you supporting this gangster, Red???
Sorry, I meant Libya.
Trump doesn’t need Congressional approval to deploy troops. In fact, the US hasn’t had Congressional approval since WW2. So Trump is a gangster since he’s doing what everyone else did? We should try to be fair. Isn’t that what brothers do? As you know, I do not support what Trump is doing in Ukraine but I pray that I’m wrong. Same as Senator Grassley. If there are people here that hate me because I try to be fair, so be it, its not the first time people tried to bully me for my views. I just wish the Left was just as tolerant instead of fascist.
“In fact, the US hasn’t had Congressional approval since WW2.”
There were seven, and Taco is responsible for 4 of them.
Can you prove that he doesn’t need congressional approval for this? If so, give me something I can check.
“As you know, I do not support what Trump is doing in Ukraine but I pray that I’m wrong.”
How much more proof do you need that Trump is for Ukraine as a cat is to a mouse?
“…its not the first time people tried to bully me for my views.”
And that has what to do with me? To think of it, I am not aware of any bullying against you. It’s usually you who attacks someone for their opinions. At least you do this to me all the time.
I agree with Sir Red. The laws surrounding the attack of a sovereign country is steeped in allot of confusion regarding who or what are allowed to do who or what. I recall the same divisiveness occurring in each of the occasions noted above ie dem criticizing republican and republicans criticizing dems. It’s Deja vu all over again. The only occasion that I remember where there was bipartisan support was when Bush 1 (no fan of him) went into Panama for Noriega. The difference, Bush had consulted with congressional leaders beforehand. Sadly the only difference between then and now…. now, everyone hates everyone else
You just can’t stop yourself from the personal attacks, can you? You make putin proud.
“a debate on the Constitutional rights of foreign policy”
There is no question that the U.S. Constitution explicitly grants Congress the original and primary right to impose tariffs and regulate foreign commerce. Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 states that “The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises”. The only debate is over how much right the President has to unilaterally impose them.
It becomes partisan only in that the Republicans are deferring to trumpkov and not passing the REPO 2.0 act for half a year. If they grew a spine and acted like the co-equal branch of government that they’re supposed to be, then they would just go ahead and pass it.
“whether or not a declaration of war” – that’s not really relevant to the current thread.
Yeah, US presidents since the beginning applied tariffs but NOW they are illegal, right? lol…
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/06/how-the-us-has-used-tariffs-through-history-and-why-trump-is-different.html
“NOW they are illegal”
Who said that?
You wrote, “a debate on the Constitutional rights of foreign policy”. I replied to say that there’s no question that Congress has the right to impose the tariffs in the REPO 2.0 act without any consideration of trumpkov wanting to appease putler. The only reason they haven’t done so is because of the fecklessness of the Republican jellyfish.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D5VMURm1UEDo&ved=2ahUKEwiT7pbouPeRAxV9SvEDHfrTDZwQwqsBegQIGBAB&usg=AOvVaw08h0eUlurM8StLDP2FjHpA
😄
That bill has been turned into a yawn factor. It’s a stillbirth because there is no will in Congress to stand up to the orange gangster and pass this bill. Not yet, anyway.
“I am supportive of the aggressive action the U.S. has taken against Russia since its initial attack in 2022.”
Aggressive action? Is this guy a choirboy? He certainly has a different view of what aggressiveness means than what the dictionary says
“I believe President Trump has the ability to turn this around by placing the toughest sanctions we have seen on Russia to date. The Senate is poised to soon consider a bipartisan package of tough sanctions on Russia devised by Senators Graham and Blumenthal, of which I am an original cosponsor.”
I believe that too. But, that’s the whole point of my critique towards Trump – aka Taco: he isn’t doing what is possible to help Ukraine and to harm his favorite country, russia.
Red, I haven’t seen anyone criticize ALL congressmen and women, regarding Ukraine. Of course, there are such members, like Chuck Grassley, who are steadfast supporters of the victim country. So, I’m not sure what message you are trying to send. Furthermore, we’ve heard, read, and known about the resolutions mentioned in the above letter.
However, the US is still not doing what is possible. Taco is still being a spineless coward, or is still receiving his orders from the runt, or just doesn’t give a rat’s *ss. Take your pick.
I remain solidly faithful to my severe criticism of Trump and others who are clearly on the wrong side of history. He must get impeached for his various crimes, prosecuted, and put into prison.
Chuck Grassley is a conservative who has nothing in common with the ruling elite who all belong to the putin wing of the party. At 93, he can’t be expected to take a stand against Krasnov.
Same with Don Bacon; a principled man who is retiring at age only 62. Was he pressured out by the putler wing?
Another loss for Ukraine.
Those losses will be offset in the midterms.