Three Republican senators and a bipartisan group of five U.S. representatives honored by Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk; For Country Caucus backs the Russia sanctions bill as the House prepares to take up the Senate-passed version.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, awarded the Ukrainian Badge of Honour “for our freedom and yours” to eight Members of Congress, including members of the For Country Caucus of bipartisan U.S. military veterans. The delegation traveled to Kyiv alongside the With Honor veterans organization for the Yalta European Strategy (YES) Annual Meeting, at a time of increased Russian attacks on civilians in the city. YES is one of the few international conferences that still convene annually in Ukraine.
The recipients were:
- Sen. Alan Armstrong of Oklahoma
- Sen. John Curtis of Utah
- Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina
- For Country Caucus Founding Co-Chair Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska’s 2nd District
- Former For Country Caucus Vice Chair Rep. Salud Carbajal of California’s 24th District
- Member of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, Rep. Wesley Bell of Missouri’s 1st District
- Member of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, Rep. Jim Costa of California’s 21st District
- Member of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, Rep. Eugene Vindman of Virginia’s 7th District
The award was also presented to With Honor Co-Founder and CEO Rye Barcott, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and author of Courage Can Save US, which profiles Rep. Don Bacon and other bipartisan lawmakers who have served in the U.S. military or FBI and have demonstrated the courage to work across party lines on important national security issues, including the defense of Ukrainian freedom. With Honor led its fourth bipartisan delegation to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
In Kyiv, the delegation received briefings from senior Ukrainian officials, including Ukraine’s National Security Advisor and Deputy Minister of Defense. Members passed gasoline stations and grocery stores in the capital that had been recently struck by Russian attacks. Part of the delegation also traveled to Kharkiv, where they met with frontline units and medics and saw additional destruction from Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure. As delegations departed Ukraine on Sunday, a Russian drone struck a train two kilometers from the Polish border, shortly after a train carrying officials out of Kyiv had passed through the same crossing. Ukraine’s state rail operator said the diplomatic train may have been the intended target. No casualties were reported.
The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act passed the Senate on Aug. 7, 2026, by a bipartisan vote of 86-11. It is endorsed by With Honor Action and by the For Country Caucus, the bipartisan group of military veterans in the U.S. House that Rep. Bacon co-founded as its Republican co-chair and where Rep. Carbajal served as vice chair.
Separately, Congress appropriated $400 million for fiscal year 2026 for European capacity building, which the Department of Defense notified Congress it would use for Ukraine. The funds purchase weapons, equipment, and services from American manufacturers for Ukraine’s armed forces. The Pentagon has not yet put those funds under contract. With Honor Action calls on the Administration to urgently obligate and disburse these funds in advance of the challenging winter Ukraine faces as it fights an enemy attacking civilian infrastructure.
“There is no substitute for standing in Kyiv while the sirens go off and watching people go about their day anyway. That is what resolve looks like. Ukraine is not asking Americans to fight this war. They are asking for the tools to finish it and for the pressure that brings Russia to the table honestly. The Senate did its part on sanctions last month, and I hope the House will finish the job this week,” said Senator Thom Tillis, who led the Senate delegation.
“Twenty-five years ago this week, I was in uniform watching my country get hit. Marking that anniversary in Kyiv, in a city under fire from a dictator who treats borders as suggestions, sharpens what is at stake. We don’t bow to dictators, and we don’t leave a democracy to fight alone. This honor does not belong to the eight of us. It belongs to the American people who chose to arm a democracy under attack, and the way to honor it is to pass this sanctions bill and keep our commitments,” said Rep. Don Bacon, who led the House delegation and is a retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general who was recently profiled in Barcott’s book Courage Can Save US.
“My family left the Soviet Ukraine as refugees with almost nothing and were welcomed in America. My brothers and I gave back to our great nation by fighting for freedom in the U.S. military. We need to continue to fight for freedom by standing with Ukraine. This was my second trip as a Congressman, but the first trip where Kyiv was being hit while we were standing in it. The Ukrainians face a dire situation, and they were clear about their ask of America. They did not ask for American troops. They asked for pressure. The Senate passed this sanctions package 86 to 11, and every week the House waits is another week Russia sells the oil that pays for the missiles and drones whose damage we saw up close. The House should pass it this week,” said Rep. Eugene Vindman, a retired Army colonel who serves on the House Armed Services Committee.
“Twenty-five years after 9/11, I marked the anniversary in a capital under fire alongside three Republican senators and a bipartisan group of five House members who traveled into a country under attack to stand with a democratic ally. We saw gas stations and grocery stores that Russia had struck days before, and met frontline medics in Kharkiv. On the way out, a drone hit the rail line minutes behind the train carrying officials from Kyiv, two kilometers from the Polish border,” said Rye Barcott, Co-Founder and CEO of With Honor and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. “Putin is escalating against civilians and testing NATO’s edge. The Pentagon must put the $400 million Congress appropriated this year under contract without delay. That money buys weapons from American manufacturers, and every week of delay pushes delivery further out as Ukraine heads into winter. The Senate passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 by a vote of 86 to 11. The House should take up that bill this week and send it to the President’s desk.”
About With Honor
With Honor fights polarization in Congress by supporting principled veterans across party lines who pledge to serve with integrity, civility, and courage. With Honor Action works alongside the bipartisan For Country Caucus in Congress to pass critical legislation for our nation. Learn more about our work at WithHonor.org.
Contact: press@withhonor.org
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