Americans have cast their vote, giving their preference for Donald Trump. B4Ukraine calls on the newly-elected presidential administration to prioritize finding a sustainable and fair resolution to Russia’s ongoing assault on Ukraine. Approaching the end of its third year, Russia’s all-out war on its sovereign neighbor led to a complete erosion of international order and one of the greatest humanitarian crises of our times.
We call on the new US presidential administration to enable Ukraine to win. Since February 2022, the United States has been a leading bilateral donor of Ukraine, having provided USD 92 bn in combined military, financial and humanitarian assistance to the embattled country. Yet this significant support—often hindered by political gridlock—has been undermined by U.S. businesses that persist in operating within Russia, effectively bolstering its war machine. Without an adequate response from the U.S. business sector, the impact of American aid is compromised, counteracting efforts to secure a sustainable peace for Ukraine.
Choking off Russia’s access to financial resources to conduct its illegal war provides a sustainable way to put a halt to its neo-imperial ambitions in Ukraine and elsewhere. That is why the B4Ukraine coalition calls on the new US presidential administration to disarm and defund Russia’s war effort, which has also been the focus of our collective efforts.
We urge the new president-elect and his administration to prioritize the following areas:
Curtailing the presence of American technology in Russia’s military and industrial complex. Despite an array of export controls imposed by the US government, American companies are still leading globally in the number of foreign components frequently found in Russian missiles. Semiconductor manufacturers including Analog Devices, Intel, Texas Instruments, and Advanced Micro Devices have not sufficiently increased their export control compliance efforts since Russia’s invasion. The US Department of Commerce needs to strengthen its enforcement efforts and hold companies fully accountable.
Undertaking further measures to curtail Russia’s lucrative fossil fuel trade, which has generated close to USD 850 bn of revenue for the Kremlin since February 2022. Addressing the so-called “refining loophole,” which allows Russian crude oil refined by third countries to be legally sold in the United States and elsewhere, is paramount. Another key aspect is to address Russia’s rapidly-expanding “shadow fleet” of oil and LNG tankers. Identifying and removing critical American oil and gas players from the Russian energy market is also essential.
Diminishing American corporate presence in the Russian market. Currently, companies headquartered in the United States boast the largest presence in Russia, having paid over USD 2.3 billion in profit taxes to the Kremlin between 2022-2023. These 300 American firms are not only providing a critical financial bloodline for the conduct of Russia’s illegal war, but also undermining the efforts of the US government to support Ukraine with American tax dollars.
An independent and democratic Ukraine is in the national interest of the United States. The cheapest and more sustainable way of ensuring Ukraine’s full victory is removing the financial and economic resources available to the Kremlin to conduct its war. The newly elected presidential administration is uniquely positioned to defund and disarm Russia’s war effort.