WASHINGTON, D.C. — Hundreds of Ukraine supporters from across the country will descend on the nation's capital next week as the American Coalition for Ukraine hosts its 9-й Ukraine Action Summit, running September 12–16. Organizers describe it as a nationwide gathering of Ukraine advocates, drawing U.S. veterans, nonprofit leaders, faith-based groups, and ordinary citizens.
Two Days of Programming, Three Days of Advocacy
The Summit will begin with a two-day conference and exhibition on September 12–13, open to the press. The program will include panel discussions and an exhibition hall where ACU member organizations, NGOs, and business partners will present their work. Confirmed speakers also include Ukraine’s Minister for Veterans Affairs Vitalii Kim, ACU Board President Marianna Tretiak, Olympian Vladyslav Heraskevych, and Meaghan Mobbs of the Romulus T. Weatherman Foundation. As part of the advocacy days, speeches are scheduled for September 14 by Denys Sienik, Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States, and U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland’s 8th Congressional District.
The conference will also host the U.S. premieres of two documentaries, "A Simple Soldier" and "See You in Heaven," with directors Simon Ostrovsky and Alexandra Poolos introducing their films; Ostrovsky will take audience questions in a moderated session.
From September 14–16, delegates move to Capitol Hill for direct meetings with lawmakers. ACU's legislative priorities are:
Sanctions: The Sanctioning Russia Act has passed the U.S. Senate and been introduced in the House. ACU delegates will press House members to act without delay, citing the urgency of the moment;
Abducted Children: The Justice for Ukrainian Children Act, reinforcing the Coalition's long-running campaign to hold Russia accountable for the abduction of Ukrainian children;
Defense & Economic Partnerships: Sen. Rosen’s Strategic Unmanned Systems Partnership Act and Sen. Kaine’s Fast Tracking European Investment in Ukraine’s Defense Act, and is exploring a pathway to support the Starlink/ERAM request referenced by President Zelensky.
Designated "Undesirable" by Russia, ACU Says It Won't Back Down
The Summit comes two months after Russia's Prosecutor General's Office labeled ACU an "undesirable organization" on July 1, a designation the country's Justice Ministry has since formalized on its official registry.
"Russia declared the American Coalition for Ukraine 'undesirable' — we're taking that as a surefire sign we're doing something right," said Marianna Tretiak, President and Chair of the ACU Board.
Gold Star Families Return to Capitol Hill
Among the Summit's most visible advocates are the families of American volunteers killed fighting for Ukraine.
Richard Harris, whose son Thomas Harris — a Marine Corps veteran of Afghanistan who later served as a machine gunner and combat medic in Ukraine — was killed in November 2023, created the "Bridge of Heroes" memorial after visiting the sea of flags marking Ukraine's fallen in Kyiv's Independence Square. The installation debuted at the Ukrainian House in Washington during an American-Ukrainian Independence Day celebration.
Jennifer Baglivi lost her son Alex Banas, a Marine veteran and cancer survivor, in action on May 29, 2025, after he joined Ukraine's Third Brigade the previous December; his body has not been recovered despite multiple attempts.
Banas had returned briefly to the U.S. to see his mother for Mother's Day just two weeks before his death. His best friend, who was with him by radio when he was killed, chose to remain in Ukraine to continue the fight. Baglivi has since joined the advocacy effort on Capitol Hill.
Terri Hepworth will also return to Washington to advocate in memory of her son, Dane Partridge, a Marine veteran of Iraq's 4th Infantry Division who traveled to Ukraine in April 2022.
Partridge fought for six months before being mortally wounded in the Zaporizhzhia region and dying on October 11, 2022, at age 34. Hepworth has described his death as part of "the fight for democracy."
American Coalition for Ukraine is a nonpartisan alliance of more than 50 U.S.-based nonprofit organizations working to mobilize American support for Ukraine's sovereignty, security, and recovery.
Twice a year, ACU convenes the Ukraine Action Summit, bringing advocates from across the United States to Washington, D.C., for briefings, training, and direct meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
Author: Ulyana Boychuk
