H.R. 1601 – Defending Ukraine’s Territorial Integrity Act

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Updated November 24, 2025 at 2:25 AM UTC

The Defending Ukraine’s Territorial Integrity Act sets U.S. policy to reject any Russian claim over Ukrainian territory and blocks U.S. aid to foreign governments that recognize or support those claims. It requires the State Department to list the governments affected and allows a waiver only if the President’s administration can show a clear national‑interest reason. The bill mainly impacts U.S. foreign assistance programs and any foreign country that might acknowledge Russia’s annexations.

Key Provisions

U.S. policy is to refuse to recognize any Russian claim of sovereignty or independence over any part of Ukraine that is occupied by Russian forces, including Crimea, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia.
No U.S. federal funds may be used to provide assistance to any foreign central government that either (a) has recognized the independence of, or established diplomatic relations with, those occupied Ukrainian regions, or (b) has taken steps to support Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territory.
The Secretary of State must publish a list of such foreign governments on the State Department website.
The Secretary of State may waive the funding prohibition for a specific government if it is deemed to be in the United States’ national interest, with a written justification reported to the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

HouseFloor Latest Action

ASSUMING FIRST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. Walkinshaw asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 1601, a bill originally introduced by Representative Connolly, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection.

January 8, 2026 • 5:15 PM

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

February 26, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Foreign Affairs Committee

February 26, 2025

HouseFloor

ASSUMING FIRST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. Walkinshaw asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 1601, a bill originally introduced by Representative Connolly, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection.

January 8, 2026 • 5:15 PM

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 1601 on the floor

1 Democrat

Rep. James R. WalkinshawD-VA-11 · Jan 8, 2026

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 1600, the Crimea Annexation Non-Recognition Act; H.R. 1601, the Defending Ukraine's Territorial…

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued February 26, 2025

I

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1601

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 26, 2025

Mr. Connolly (for himself, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania, Ms. Norton, Mr. Goldman of New York, and Ms. Kaptur) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

A BILL

To counter Russian influence and aggression in Ukraine.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Defending Ukraine’s Territorial Integrity Act.

2.

Countering Russian influence and aggression in Ukraine

(a)

Statement of policy

It is the policy of the United States not to recognize the Russian Federation’s claim of sovereignty over, or independence, of any part of Ukraine occupied by Russian forces, including Crimea and Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.

(b)

Prohibition

(1)

In general

None of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available to any Federal department or agency may be used to provide assistance for the central government of a country that the Secretary of State determines and reports to the appropriate congressional committees—

(A)

has recognized the independence of, or has established diplomatic relations with, any region located in the territory of Ukraine that is occupied by the Russian Federation or under the control of Russian-backed separatists, including Crimea and Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts; or

(B)

has taken affirmative steps intended to support or be supportive of the Russian Federation annexation of Crimea or other territory in Ukraine.

(2)

Publication of list of central governments

The Secretary of State shall publish on the Department of State website a list of such central governments in a timely manner.

(3)

Waiver

The Secretary of State may waive the prohibition on assistance required by paragraph (1) with respect to any such central government if the Secretary determines and reports to the appropriate congressional committees that to do so is in the national interest of the United States, and includes a justification for such interest.

(c)

Appropriate congressional committees defined

In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.