[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 78 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 78

   Expressing the sense of the Senate recognizing 3 years of Russian 
                    military aggression in Ukraine.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 2, 2017

   Mr. Menendez (for himself and Mr. Graham) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing the sense of the Senate recognizing 3 years of Russian 
                    military aggression in Ukraine.

Whereas, according to conservative estimates from the United Nations, 
        approximately 10,000 people have been killed, over 20,000 wounded, and 
        nearly 2,000,000 internally displaced since the current conflict in 
        Ukraine began in 2014;
Whereas March 1, 2014, marks 3 years since the Government of the Russian 
        Federation authorized military forces to illegally annex the Crimean 
        region of Ukraine;
Whereas the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances signed by the Russian 
        Federation in December 1994 provided security assurances against the 
        threats or use of force against the territorial integrity or political 
        independence of Ukraine;
Whereas the United States and other countries stated in a letter to the United 
        Nations that the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 was a violation of 
        Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity and thus was a breach of 
        the Budapest Memorandum;
Whereas, in September 2014, the Russian Federation signed the Minsk I Protocol, 
        which called for an immediate cease-fire and effective monitoring by the 
        Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE);
Whereas, in February 2015, the Russian Federation signed the Minsk II Protocol, 
        which again called for an immediate cease-fire, the withdrawal of heavy 
        weapons, and effective monitoring by the OSCE;
Whereas Russian, Ukrainian, and European representatives reaffirmed their 
        commitment to the Minsk agreements at the 2017 Munich Security 
        Conference;
Whereas Secretary of State Rex Tillerson recently stated that the United States 
        expects ``Russia to honor its commitments to the Minsk agreements and 
        work to de-escalate violence in Ukraine'';
Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation, despite its commitments to 
        these peace accords, continues to destabilize Ukraine through a variety 
        of military and political maneuvers;
Whereas OSCE observers still do not have full, unimpeded access to the 
        Ukrainian-Russian border;
Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation continues to supply weapons, 
        equipment, and personnel to separatists intent on undermining the 
        sovereignty of Ukraine and who recently relaunched a campaign of 
        aggression in January 2017;
Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has yet to withdraw its heavy 
        weapons from Ukraine and continues its sabotage and subversion efforts;
Whereas Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an order recognizing passports 
        issued by separatist rebels in Eastern Ukraine;
Whereas the Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-272) authorized 
        increased military and economic assistance for Ukraine;
Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation continues to engage in a 
        campaign of disinformation about the conflict in both Ukraine and the 
        West;
Whereas the defense minister of the Russian Federation recently announced the 
        formation of ``information warfare troops'';
Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has mobilized up to 100,000 
        troops to Belarus' border with Lithuania and Poland, reminiscent of 
        actions taken at the Ukrainian border in 2014; and
Whereas it is longstanding policy of the United States Government not to 
        recognize territorial changes effected by force alone: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) condemns continued Russian military intervention in the 
        sovereign state of Ukraine;
            (2) calls on the Government of the Russian Federation to 
        immediately cease all activity that seeks to normalize or 
        recognize the Russian-backed rebel separatists in Eastern 
        Ukraine;
            (3) affirms that sanctions imposed on the Russian 
        Federation for destabilizing the international order in Eastern 
        Europe should not be lifted until the Russian Federation 
        complies with all terms of the Minsk agreements and ceases its 
        illegal attempts to annex Ukraine's Crimea; and
            (4) calls on the United States Government, United States 
        allies in Europe, the United Nations, and international 
        partners to continue to pressure the Government of the Russian 
        Federation to uphold its international obligations.
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