WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined Sen. Jim Risch and 32 of his Republican colleagues in introducing the Never Yielding Europe’s Territory (NYET) Act to provide the critical support Ukraine needs to defend itself and deter Russian aggression, while imposing real costs on the Kremlin for its ongoing and potential future aggression against Ukraine.

Sens. Johnson and Jim Risch were joined by Senators Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), John Kennedy (R-La.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)

The NYET Act:

• Takes immediate action to prevent Nord Stream 2 from becoming operational and would mandate sanctions on the project without a waiver should Russia further invade Ukraine. 
• Provides $500 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) for Ukraine, including $250 million in emergency funding, with $100 million for emergency lethal assistance for critical capabilities like air defense, anti-armor, and anti-ship capabilities.
• Creates a new Ukraine Resistance Fund to help Ukraine resist attempts to occupy or subjugate any new territory Russia may seize, while sending a clear message to Putin that his military will pay a price for advances into sovereign Ukrainian territory.
• Sends a clear deterrent message to Putin that further invading Ukraine will result in severe economic consequences, including sanctions on Putin, his cronies, other Russian officials, and major Russian banks, and secondary sanctions on banks that continue business with sanctioned Russian banks.
  • Allows any chairman or ranking member of a national security committee to force a determination from the president on whether Russia’s aggression against Ukraine constitutes a major escalation and fulfills conditions to trigger sanctions.

Read the full text of the NYET Act here.

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