Stefanishyna: SABER bill opens new opportunities to use Russian assets for Ukraine

Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United States Olha Stefanishyna said this in comments to Ukrinform.

“Good news from Capitol Hill: a bipartisan bill called the SABER Act has been introduced in the U.S. Senate, once again raising the issue of using frozen Russian sovereign assets for Ukraine,” she noted.

According to the ambassador, the key point of the initiative is that it steers the debate toward using these funds to support Ukraine’s defense needs, particularly for purchasing weapons and military equipment.

This continues earlier legislative work, beginning with the adoption of the REPO Act and followed by the REPO Implementation Act, introduced in Congress in October 2025.

“The current bill develops this approach and broadens the political discussion on practical mechanisms for using Russian assets,” Stefanishyna emphasized.

She also pointed out that the initiative aligns with the approach of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration to use frozen assets of states violating international norms as a foreign policy tool and a means of strengthening security.

“This approach is seen as a pragmatic way to enhance support for Ukraine without additional burden on American taxpayers,” the ambassador added.

As earlier reported, a group of Democratic and Republican senators introduced the SABER Act (“Seized Assets for Battlefield Equipment and Readiness”), which would allow confiscated Russian sovereign assets to be used for purchasing arms and military equipment for Ukraine. The bill was presented by Democratic Senators Tim Kaine, Chris Coons, and Sheldon Whitehouse, along with Republicans John Cornyn, Roger Wicker, and Chuck Grassley.

The existing REPO Act already permits the confiscation of frozen Russian sovereign assets under U.S. jurisdiction and their transfer to Ukraine for compensation, reconstruction, recovery, and economic and humanitarian assistance.