Ukraine Action Summit 2025 Preview
Advocates for Ukraine from around the country will gather in Washington D.C. to lobby Congress April 6-9th
Last year’s Ukraine Summit made oil lobbyists look like pansies.
Meeting with 300 members of congress, more than 500 delegates from 44 states descended upon Capitol Hill to voice their support for Ukraine’s security.
At the time, U.S. aid to Ukraine was army-crawling beneath Congressional gridlock. The Biden administration, with a bipartisan majority in the Senate, faced off against Republican Speaker Mike Johnson, who wanted to bundle Ukraine Aid with H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act, a partisan bill that even two Republican Senators voted against and that Biden said he would veto.
The Senate passed $95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, which was signed and deployed by President Joe Biden after months of delays and debate over U.S. involvement in foreign wars. The bill passed the Senate on an overwhelming 79-18 vote after 300+ House members formed bipartisan coalitions mostly comprised of Democrats, voting in favor of each package separately.1 The strategy of army-crawling and flooding the zone with compassion worked for the Ukraine lobby.
The persuasive stories shared with representatives during the 2024 Ukraine Action Summit undoubtedly weighed on the minds of Congress members as they cast their votes.
From AP reporting at the time -
“Speaker Johnson had met recently with Trump, who objects to much overseas aid and has invited Russia to ‘do whatever the hell they want’ in Ukraine.”
Johnson’s decision to join Democrats in passing the bill amused many, as it was a clear rebuke to Trump and the House Republican Freedom Caucus threatening his tenuous and nascent speakership.
“History judges us for what we do,” Johnson said during an impromptu press conference in Statuary Hall.
“I could make a selfish decision and do something that’s different, but I’m doing here what I believe to be the right thing,” he said.
Johnson disclosed that his son is headed to the Naval Academy this fall.
“To put it bluntly, I would rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys,” he said.
“This is a live-fire exercise for me, as it is so many American families. This is not a game. This is not a joke.”2
The political landscape has changed dramatically since the 2024 summit, but Johnson’s core principles, the protection of American military personnel, may still be alive (even after signal-gate). Will Johnson and the larger Republican party lean into their moral nature, with Trump behind the Resolute desk, and U.S. - Russia relations shifting tectonically?
A year after partisan divisions were bridged to send weapons to Ukraine, the stakes have been raised and democracy is in a generally worse geopolitical position.
Trump has falsely claimed that Ukraine is responsible for Russia’s invasion of its own internationally-recognized borders, and embarrassed himself and our country in an explosive oval office meeting.3
Early in the Trump administration’s transition, Trump and JD Vance dangled intelligence sharing and aid above Zelenskyy’s head, undercutting his negotiating position with Russia by demanding he agree to a 30-day ceasefire ahead of talks with Russia.
Unsurprisingly, Russia did not come to the negotiating table in good faith. A total cease-fire was likely never on the table. Drones continue to target civilians and front line troops every day, straining Ukrainian defense systems that are deeply integrated with U.S. resources.4
From Reuters -
“U.S. and Russian officials wrapped up day-long talks on Monday focused on a narrow proposal for a ceasefire at sea between Kyiv and Moscow, part of a diplomatic effort that Washington hopes will help pave the way for broader peace negotiations.
Even as the meeting was under way in Saudi Arabia, where a Ukrainian delegation was present on the sidelines, a Russian missile strike damaged a school and a hospital in Ukraine, wounding at least 88 people.”5
The role of the U.S. in peace negotiations has been economically self-interested, prioritizing U.S. isolationism over Ukraine’s security. Mineral rights and trade exports have been focal points of early peace negotiations held in Riyadh. Thus far, deescalation has been limited to targeting infrastructure necessary for industrial production and shipping through the Black sea.
These limited cease-fires have been a gift to Putin. Churning out global headlines with the words “cease fire,” Putin is able to push a global narrative of deescalation and peaceful intent. Realistically, Trump’s demonstrated disinterest in Ukraine’s security leaves Ukrainian negotiators at a rickety table across from Russia, without the good-faith backing of the United States. The party with the strongest democratic interests is Ukraine, which is why it’s so vital they receive support from others around the world; individual politicians, democratic states, and businesses who share these interests.
The Ukraine lobby has proven itself to be effective storytellers and communicators, and may be able to warm Donald Trump’s heart. While Trump’s second term is not a “clean slate” opportunity by any means, one can hope that the story of Ukrainian bravery and national courage might break through to him.
As the 2025 Summit convenes this week, Ukraine is looking to us in the West for reinforcement as it actively fights for its independence. When engaging with Congress members, I’ll be asking them about their positions on:
Security guarantees from the West, including aid, weapons, NATO membership and EU membership
UN peace-keeping forces armed to enforce a neutral zone in Eastern Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula
Maintenance of sanctions against Russia until final stages of peace
Free and fair elections in Ukraine coinciding with the suspension of martial law, further legitimizing liberal democracy and allowing for constitutional amendments required for EU membership
These are nonpartisan foreign policy proposals that should resonate with politicians across the ideological spectrum, who all took an oath to defend our constitutional democracy.
Yesterday I was holding a small Ukrainian flag at a Hands Off protest here in Eugene, Oregon. Your mother happened to spot the flag, and stopped to tell me about your substack and your work with Ukraine Torch. So, here I am!