US Congress introduces bill on sanctions for "Russia’s war on faith"
In the U.S., members of Congress have introduced a bipartisan bill imposing sanctions over Russia's violations of religious freedom.
According to Censor.NET, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga reported this on social media platform X.
The minister thanked a number of members of Congress for introducing a bill that had long been needed.
"This is not just a timely move—it is a long-overdue necessity. Russia must be held accountable for its systematic attacks on religious freedom," the post states.
Sybiga emphasized that in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, Russia is persecuting and killing clergy, destroying churches, banning entire religious communities, and using religion as a weapon to instill fear and exert control.
"This is also a direct attack on one of the fundamental human rights—the right to believe, to practice one's religion, and to live without fear," the minister added.
What is known about the bill?
The bill, titled "Countering Russia's War on Faith," was introduced by Republicans Joe Wilson, Brian Fitzpatrick, and Don Bacon, and Democrats Steve Cohen, Marcy Kaptur, and Mike Quigley. A companion bill was introduced in the Senate by Republican Senator John Kennedy and Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse.
This bipartisan bill requires the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense to jointly report on Russia’s actions aimed at persecuting, suppressing, and violating the religious freedoms of faith communities in Ukraine and in Russian-occupied territories.
It also requires the president to impose sanctions on foreign nationals who have been found to have participated in these actions.
