Press release | 30 October 2026 | Kyiv, Ukraine
Ukrainian campaign organisation Razom We Stand has warned against waiving or lifting sanctions on Russia before an end to the war in Ukraine, following remarks by US President Donald Trump at the White House.
The statement followed an Oval Office meeting on 30 October with Stephen Hubbard, an American recently released from Russian detention. Asked about possible sanctions relief for Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, Trump said he was not lifting measures and argued that imposing further restrictions while negotiating Hubbard’s release could have jeopardised the outcome.
Razom We Stand said that treating economic restrictions as concessions ahead of a settlement would weaken diplomatic leverage. The organisation called for sanctions relief to be conditional on Russia ending hostilities and engaging in negotiations towards a peace that respects Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Statement from Dr Svitlana Romanko
Dr Svitlana Romanko, founder and executive director of Razom We Stand, said:
“Dismissing sanctions as useless while granting back-channel relief to Moscow directly undercuts our leverage for peace. Every concession handed to the Kremlin—whether by unfreezing financial assets or welcoming Russian petroleum into Western supply chains—rewards hostage diplomacy and finances further destruction across Ukraine. Serious economic restrictions have stripped more than a trillion dollars from Putin’s war chest; easing sanctions before the bombs stop falling only signals that aggression pays. Sanctions relief belongs at the end of the road to a just peace, not at the negotiating table as an unearned gift.”
The group’s position follows its 28 October warning concerning a possible removal of sanctions on the Russian Direct Investment Fund and US authorisations affecting imports of Russian diesel. Razom We Stand maintains that concessions involving Russian financial assets or petroleum sales risk increasing the resources available to Moscow while its military operations continue.
In an EU Council statement issued on 15 October, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said sanctions had denied Moscow more than €1 trillion. This is an EU estimate of economic impact, not an amount of assets directly seized or frozen.
Razom We Stand argues that economic pressure should remain in place until there is a complete cessation of hostilities, with any subsequent easing linked to concrete progress towards a lasting peace.
About Razom We Stand
Razom We Stand is a Ukrainian-led organisation working to end the fossil fuel trade that funds Russia’s war against Ukraine and to support a just peace and a clean energy future. Further information is available at razomwestand.com.
This press release was provided by Razom We Stand. The statements and positions expressed are those of the issuing organisation.
