The Senate Foreign Relations Committee unveiled three bipartisan bills on Wednesday intended to impose stricter measures on Russia and its allies, nearly three years after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
If these bills pass in the Senate, they would label Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, penalize China for its involvement in the conflict, and redirect frozen Russian assets to Ukraine.
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut expressed pride in the vote, emphasizing that it sets the stage to officially label Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism if the country fails to return around 20,000 abducted children. “It’s a war crime,” he stated, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions should compel prompt legislative action.
The first bill, championed by Blumenthal and colleagues including Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar and Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and Katie Britt, seeks to designate Russia as a terrorist state if it does not return approximately 19,546 children reportedly taken by Russian forces.
The bill asserts that Putin’s regime intends to “Russianize” Ukrainian children through means like kidnapping and forced expulsion, aiming to eliminate their Ukrainian identity. Many of these children end up in camps or militias, supposedly to train for future military service.
The second approved bill, dubbed the “Severance of Technology Transfer Activities and Partnerships between China and Russia (STOP) Act of 2025,” aims to weaken the economic ties between the Kremlin and Beijing, an alliance that has been very effective in navigating sanctions.
This act would impose sanctions on Chinese individuals and entities that offer material support to Russia’s military during the ongoing conflict. It also calls for coordination with U.S. allies on diplomatic and economic actions to limit Chinese aid to Russia.
Senator Jerry Moran from Kansas argued that this bill could severely impact Russia’s economy by cutting off the resources Putin uses to sustain the war, potentially accelerating paths to peace.
Blumenthal also expressed hope for the Russia Sanctions Act, advocating for strong economic measures against nations like India, China, and Brazil that might be enabling Putin’s military efforts.
The final bill aims to enhance the enforcement of laws that facilitate the transfer of frozen Russian assets to Ukraine. It seeks to simplify how these funds are utilized while pushing for regular disbursements to support Ukraine and encouraging allies to repurpose seized Russian assets.
Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, criticized Putin, calling him a liar and expressing frustration over past discussions that he felt were unproductive.
This action from the committee aligns with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s push for long-range weaponry from the U.S. during a recent meeting with President Donald Trump, where he proposed trading thousands of Ukrainian drones for Tomahawk missiles.
