Petition to the United States Congress
To the Members of the United States Congress

We are a group of Russians permanently or temporarily residing in the United States who oppose the war of aggression launched by the government of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

We petition the United States Congress to continue the sanctions regime and maintain pressure on the Russian Federation, including sanctions against individuals who openly advocate for the continuation and escalation of the war in Ukraine, until the Russian government takes meaningful steps to end its military aggression against Ukraine and its people and to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty.

Lifting or easing sanctions expands the Russian government’s ability to generate revenue and finance its military actions in Ukraine. Moreover, concessions in the sanctions regime can be presented inside Russia as a victory for Vladimir Putin, thus consolidating his authoritarian regime and complicating the work of Russian civil society and the anti-war movement. As the war continues, easing sanctions creates incentives for the Russian authoritarian regime to prolong its aggression against Ukraine. It demonstrates that the use of military force can bring political benefits without significant consequences, including economic costs.

We call on the United States Congress to use its legislative and oversight powers to urge the U.S. Department of the Treasury to revoke General License No. 135, Authorizing Transactions Related to the Sale, Delivery, Offloading, and Importation of Diesel Fuel of Russian Federation Origin, issued on October 9, 2026, by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury; to reinstate the restrictions on transactions involving Russian diesel fuel that were waived under General License No. 135; and to consider the long-term implications of easing the sanctions regime against the Russian Federation for global security.

We emphasize that the number of signatures on this petition does not reflect the true scale of anti-war sentiment among Russians. Many Russians, both inside and outside Russia, are forced to remain silent out of fear of repression and political persecution against themselves or their family members.

We invite all Russians who oppose the war in Ukraine, both in the United States and abroad, to sign this petition.