[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 709 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 709

Condemning Russia's provocative actions in the Kerch Strait against the 
                            Ukrainian navy.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 27, 2018

 Mr. Johnson (for himself, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Barrasso, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. 
 Portman, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Markey, Mr. Cotton, and Mr. Moran) submitted 
   the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Condemning Russia's provocative actions in the Kerch Strait against the 
                            Ukrainian navy.

Whereas, on November 24, 2018, Ukraine commemorated the 85th anniversary of the 
        Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933, known as the Holodomor, in which millions 
        of Ukrainians perished under Soviet policies designed to break Ukrainian 
        resistance to Soviet communist rule and forced collectivization;
Whereas, on November 25, 2018, Russian Federation military forces fired on three 
        Ukrainian Navy vessels attempting to transit the Kerch Strait between 
        the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov;
Whereas the three Ukrainian ships were seized by Russian Federation forces, and 
        Ukrainian government officials stated that at least six of the 24 
        captured Ukrainian sailors were wounded in the incident;
Whereas the Russian Federation's seizure of the Ukrainian vessels is a blatant 
        violation of its commitments under international law and a 2003 
        Agreement between the Russian Federation and Ukraine on cooperation in 
        the use of the sea of Azov and the strait of Kerch;
Whereas, on May 15, 2018, the Government of the Russian Federation completed 
        construction of a road and rail bridge over the Kerch Strait, connecting 
        Russia with Crimea in Ukraine, and has systematically harassed Ukrainian 
        and international shipping transiting between the Black Sea and the Sea 
        of Azov;
Whereas, in March 2014, Russian Federation forces invaded and occupied Ukraine's 
        Crimean peninsula, in full contravention of the Russian Federation's 
        commitments under the United Nations Charter and the Helsinki Final Act 
        condemning the threat or use of force as means of altering international 
        borders;
Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has increased considerably its 
        military presence in occupied Crimea since 2014, including increasing 
        military personnel to an estimated 28,000-29,000, adding six new 
        submarines and three frigates to the Black Seas Fleet, and deploying S-
        400 long-range air defense battalions;
Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation continues its efforts to 
        destabilize eastern Ukraine, bears responsibility for the ongoing 
        conflict that has cost the lives of over 10,000 Ukrainians, and recently 
        orchestrated illegitimate leadership elections in the Luhansk and 
        Donetsk regions;
Whereas section 1234 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
        2018 (Public Law 115-91; 131 Stat. 1659) authorizes the Secretary of 
        Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to provide 
        appropriate security assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces; and
Whereas, on July 25, 2018, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo issued the Crimea 
        Declaration, cementing United States nonrecognition of Russian 
        sovereignty over Crimea and calling upon Russia to uphold its 
        commitments under international law regarding the territorial integrity 
        of other states: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) strongly condemns the provocative actions of the 
        Government of the Russian Federation in the Kerch Strait 
        against the Ukrainian navy;
            (2) calls upon the Government of Russia to immediately 
        release all Ukrainian crew members and vessels and to cease its 
        harassment of Ukrainian and international shipping transiting 
        the Kerch Strait;
            (3) stresses that the behavior of the Government of the 
        Russian Federation is destabilizing for the entire region and 
        invites further escalations;
            (4) urges members of the international community to unite 
        in opposition to the actions of the Government of the Russian 
        Federation in the Kerch Strait, as they infringe upon 
        fundamental principles of international law affecting all 
        nations;
            (5) welcomes and affirms Secretary of State Pompeo's Crimea 
        Declaration announcing United States policy to never recognize 
        Russia's attempted annexation of Crimea;
            (6) reaffirms the unwavering support of the people and the 
        Government of the United States for the people of Ukraine and 
        Ukraine's territorial integrity; and
            (7) calls upon the President and the entire Administration 
        to implement an all-of-government approach to forcefully 
        express opposition to the Russian Federation's November 25, 
        2018, attack on Ukrainian forces at every opportunity.
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