Updated June 10, 2024
Russia’s War on Ukraine: U.S. Policy and the Role of Congress
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale
For Ukraine specifically, the Biden Administration to date
invasion of Ukraine, a country Russia first invaded in 2014
has committed more than $51 billion in security assistance,
and has partially occupied for a decade. The war has led to
$22.9 billion in direct financial assistance (with another
hundreds of thousands of killed or wounded, according to
$7.85 billion anticipated for FY2024), and $2.3 billion in
U.S. and other estimates, and the displacement of more than
humanitarian assistance since February 2022. The
nine million people as of May 2024, according to
Administration also has provided, according to CRS
international humanitarian organizations. In 2024, Russia
estimates, around $5 billion for Ukraine’s energy,
has conducted multiple offensives, seizing some additional
governance, and agriculture sectors, among others, and to
Ukrainian towns and settlements. Ukraine continues to
support the needs of Ukrainian refugees in other countries.
wage defensive operations, bolstered by military assistance
mainly from the United States and Europe.
As of April 2024, European countries and EU institutions
had made available more than $100 billion in assistance for
“The General Assembly ... reaffirms its commitment
Ukraine since February 2022, including more than $45
to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial
billion in security assistance. In February 2024, EU leaders
integrity of Ukraine [and] declares that the unlawful
approved an additional $54 billion in assistance to Ukraine,
actions of the Russian Federation ... have no validity
to be disbursed through 2027. The EU has allocated an
under international law.”
additional $18 billion to provide for the needs of Ukrainian
U.N. General Assembly Resolution ES-11/4, Oct. 12, 2022
refugees in Europe; individual EU members also have
provided refugee assistance. Japan, Canada, other countries,
Leaders of the United States, NATO, the European Union
and international organizations also have provided
(EU), and other partners have called the war against
assistance to Ukraine.
Ukraine “unprovoked and unjustified.” The United States,
Sanctions
in coordination with the EU, NATO, and others, has
provided substantial assistance to Ukraine, imposed a series
The United States, the EU, and others also have responded
to Russia’s war on Ukraine wit
of increasingly severe sanctions on Russia and its enablers,
h sanctions. Prior to 2022,
and sought to promote accountability for Russian war
the United States had imposed sanctions on Russia in
response to Moscow’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine and other
crimes. To deter further aggression, the United States and
NATO have increased their military presence in Central and
malign activities. Since February 2022, the United States
Eastern Europe. In the United States, policymakers and
has imposed sanctions on more than 4,400 individuals and
observers continue to consider the impact of assistance to
entities, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, other
Russian elites, Russia’s legislature, defense and technology
Ukraine, the effectiveness of sanctions, the course of the
conflict, and the implications of a protracted war. Congress
firms, state-owned companies, and facilitators of sanctions
may consider additional actions and oversight with respect
evasion. U.S. sanctions restrict Russia’s central bank from
to these and related issues.
drawing on its U.S.-dollar-denominated reserves, prohibit
most major Russian banks from conducting transactions in
Assistance to Ukraine
U.S. dollars or with U.S. persons, and bar new U.S.
Since FY2022, Congress has enacted five supplemental
investment in Russia. The United States has expanded
export controls affecting Russia’s access to sensitive or
appropriations measures providing assistance to Ukraine
and other countries affected by the war, as well as related
desired U.S.-origin goods and technology; restricted the
funding. Of a total $174.2 billion in emergency
import of energy, gold, certain diamonds and metals, and
appropriations made available by these acts, including
certain other goods from Russia; banned the export of
$60.8 billion in FY2024 supplemental appropriations (P.L.
luxury goods and certain services to Russia; raised tariffs
118-50, Division B), Congress has appropriated about
on many imports from Russia; and prohibited Russian use
$127.6 billion for assistance to Ukraine and other countries
of U.S. airspace and ports.
affected by the war. Of this amount, about $77.4 billion has
In addition to executive branch actions, Congress has
been for security assistance (including to replace U.S.
suspended normal trade relations with Russia (P.L. 117-
defense articles provided to Ukraine), $40.3 billion for
110), prohibited the import of Russian oil and other energy
economic assistance, and $9.8 billion for humanitarian
products (P.L. 117-109), established sanctions on foreign
assistance. Congress appropriated another $44.6 billion to
persons who engage in gold transactions with Russia (P.L.
support U.S. military operations in Europe and other U.S.
117-263, §5590), and imposed restrictions on the import of
government responses to the war, including for sanctions
Russian uranium (P.L. 118-62).
enforcement and refugee and entrant assistance (about $2.1
billion has been appropriated for other global assistance
The United States and the EU have closely cooperated in
purposes).
imposing sanctions on Russia for its ongoing aggression
https://crsreports.congress.gov

---

Russia’s War on Ukraine: U.S. Policy and the Role of Congress
toward Ukraine. In December 2022, the United States
assets is reportedly subject to U.S. jurisdiction, out of
joined the EU and others in seeking to establish a global
approximately $280 billion immobilized worldwide (mostly
price cap of $60 per barrel on Russian oil exports by
in the EU, which in May 2024 authorized the use of
banning nationals from providing maritime transport
“extraordinary revenues” generated by immobilized
services for transactions above that price. Although the EU
Russian assets to support Ukraine).
has not imposed sanctions on Russian natural gas imports,
Russia has reduced natural gas flows to Europe. The Biden
War Crimes Accountability
Administration has sought to help the EU reduce its
In February 2023, the Biden Administration determined that
dependence on Russian gas, including by boosting U.S.
“members of Russia’s forces and other Russian officials
liquefied natural gas shipments to Europe.
have committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine.”
Ukrainian authorities and others have accused Russian
By some metrics, Russia has weathered new sanctions
forces of perpetrating indiscriminate and mass killings, rape
better than many anticipated. According to the International
and other forms of sexual violence, the intentional targeting
Monetary Fund, Russia’s economy, the 11th largest in the
of civilians, and the forced “filtration” (interrogation and
world in 2021, contracted by 1.2% in 2022 and grew an
separation) of civilians and noncombatants—including
estimated 3.6% in 2023. A number of factors have buoyed
children—from Russia-occupied territories in Ukraine. In
Russia’s economy: nimble policy responses by Russia’s
May 2024, the State Department “made a determination …
central bank; increased oil exports to China, India, and
that Russia has used the chemical weapon chloropicrin
Turkey; imports of sanctioned items through intermediaries;
against Ukrainian forces in violation of the Chemical
increased military spending; and expropriation of foreign
Weapons Convention.”
assets.
DOJ is working “in partnership with Ukraine and the
Sanctions also have created challenges for Russia. Its
international community ... to hold Russia accountable for
financial sector has lost hundreds of billions of dollars, its
war crimes committed in its unjust invasion.” In December
military has difficulty procuring key components, many
2023, DOJ “filed the first ever charges under the U.S. war
Russian factories have suspended production because they
crimes statute against four Russia-affiliated military
cannot access foreign-origin parts, and hundreds of
personnel” for crimes against a U.S. citizen in Ukraine.
international companies have exited Russia. Russian
government revenues from energy exports fell in 2023,
U.S. and NATO Force Posture in Europe
military expenditures have increased, and Russia cannot
The United States has increased military deployments to
borrow from international capital markets.
Europe and led a broader NATO effort to deter further
Russian aggression and to defend NATO allies, particularly
Seizures and Forfeitures
in Central and Eastern Europe. Congress has supported the
Through the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) Task
enhanced U.S. force presence and U.S. leadership of NATO
Force KleptoCapture and the international Russian Elites,
defense and deterrence measures. In the 117th Congress, the
Proxies, and Oligarchs Task Force, the DOJ and the
Senate gave its advice and consent (Treaty Doc. 117-3) to
Department of the Treasury are working “to seize illicit
approve Finland’s and Sweden’s accession to NATO
Russian assets for the benefit of the people of Ukraine, and
(Finland and Sweden became NATO members in April
to prosecute those who facilitate the evasion of sanctions
2023 and March 2024, respectively).
imposed on Russia.” In February 2024, Deputy Attorney
Following Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the
General Lisa Monaco said that Task Force KleptoCapture
had “restrained, seized, and obtained judgments to forfeit
United States deployed or extended about 20,000 additional
armed forces to Europe. As of December 2023, the U.S.
nearly $700 million in assets from Russian enablers and
force posture in Europe, including permanently stationed
charged more than 70 individuals for violating international
sanctions and export controls levied against Russia.”
forces, totaled approximately 80,000 military personnel.

This includes rotational deployment of up to two Brigade
FY2023 appropriations provide authority for the transfer of
proceeds of “covered forfeited property
Combat Teams in Central and Eastern Europe; deployment
[forfeited on or
of about 10,000 troops to Poland, including 800 soldiers
before May 1, 2025] to provide assistance to Ukraine to
deployed to a U.S.-led NATO battlegroup; about 3,000
remediate the harms of Russian aggression towards
Ukraine” (
troops in Romania; and additional naval and air assets.
P.L. 117-328, §1708). The DOJ used this
authority in February 2023 for a $5.4 million forfeiture of
The increased U.S. military presence is part of an enhanced
funds belonging to a Russian national who was indicted in
NATO defense and deterrence posture in the eastern part of
2022 for sanctions evasion.
the alliance. Allied troops deployed to the region for the
first time in NATO’s history after Russia’s 2014 invasion
In April 2024, Congress passed the Rebuilding Economic
of Ukraine. According to NATO, about 10,000 allied
Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act, which
soldiers currently serve in multinational battlegroups in
President Biden signed into law on April 24, 2024 (P.L.
eight countries along NATO’s eastern flank.
118-50, Division F). The act authorizes the President to
“seize, confiscate, transfer, or vest,” for the purpose of
Cory Welt, Coordinator, Specialist in Russian and
providing compensation or assistance to Ukraine, Russian
European Affairs
sovereign assets that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction and
Paul Belkin, Analyst in European Affairs
have been blocked or effectively immobilized. The act
Andrew S. Bowen, Analyst in Russian and European
states that $4-$5 billion in immobilized Russian sovereign
Affairs
https://crsreports.congress.gov

---

Russia’s War on Ukraine: U.S. Policy and the Role of Congress

IF12277
Rebecca M. Nelson, Specialist in International Trade and
Finance


Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.

https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12277 · VERSION 8 · UPDATED

---