Today I am not passing along a news article or someone else’s paper; alarmed, I am asking a question.
Significant effort was expended by the Ukrainian American community and other supporters of Ukraine in the months-long effort to get what ended up being the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 to the President’s desk in the hope he will use it as Congress and its supporters intend. And with the President’s signing of the act into law (Public Law 119-111) there have been many articles, emails, and more enjoying the legislative victory.
That is fine but there is no time to be distracted by backslapping.
Yet it seems to me there has been a letdown, a relaxation, a default to cruise control waiting for Presidential action. Wrong! Even if implemented as intended, the Graham sanctions can only contribute to a victory for Ukraine over Russia. There can be no pause.
This is no time to rest on laurels!
Urgent action is required
Congressional candidates must hear their constituents support Ukraine!
No, no, no, every candidate must be hearing from Ukraine’s supporters now!
One third of the seats in the United States Senate and every seat in the House of Representatives are to be decided in a few weeks -- early voting has begun in many places!
The 100 years of solid bipartisan support for Ukraine ended several years back with a significant number of Republicans working against support for Ukraine. Now the anti-Ukraine cancer is metastasizing in both political parties and those seeking to represent us in the Second Session of the 119th Congress are campaigning for your vote. What are they hearing from you?
Every supporter of Ukraine and our own vital national security interests in Ukraine needs to be heard as a constituent, as a voter. Any time a candidate addresses an audience or appears at a town hall or a candidate debate, they should be questioned on their position relating to Ukraine.
They should be pushed to condemn President Trump’s invitation to war criminal Putin to attend the G20 summit at the President’s Doral Country Club in December.
They should be pushed to see that the legislated sanctions are imposed and enforced.
They should be pushed on getting weapons and funds to Ukraine. They should be pushed to get supplies for the winter to Ukraine. They should be pushed on sanctioning those responsible for the abduction of Ukraine’s children – the United States has only sanctioned 60 individuals and a few entities involved while Ukraine has submitted over 260 documented cases to the International Criminal Court to support their sanctions. What are we waiting for?
Every campaign headquarters needs to be getting phone calls asking for the candidate’s position on supporting Ukraine.
Ukrainian flags as plentiful as candidate signs
Should be seen across the landscape.
Every Congressional candidate should be questioned during every public appearance. Time is of the essence.
The U.S.-Ukraine Foundation (USUF) is not a membership organization; we cannot send members to address candidates. But several of us, before we created the USUF and left partisan politics here and in Ukraine so as to try to work with whoever is in power, managed political campaigns. We know how critical it is for Congressional candidates – challengers and incumbents – to hear from the voters, to understand issues that are of critical importance to constituents.
Urgent action is required
Voting is critical and your duty, but in the case of Ukraine, candidates must hear their constituents are demanding support for Ukraine and condemnation of Vladimir Putin.
It is up to everyone to act and to speak out over and over up to Election Day. Post-election will require further vigilance and action.
ROBERT MCCONNELL
Co-Founder, U.S.-Ukraine Foundation
Director of External Affairs, Friends of Ukraine Network
The opinions expressed here are Mr. McConnell’s and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation and/or the Friends of Ukraine Network (FOUN).