[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 956 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 956
Supporting the people of Ukraine.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 1, 2022
Mr. Meeks (for himself and Mrs. Spartz) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting the people of Ukraine.
Whereas, on January 21, 1990, more than 300,000 Ukrainians called for unity and
independence from the Soviet Union by forming a human chain between the
cities of Kyiv and Ivano-Frankivsk;
Whereas, on December 1, 1991, more than 90 percent of Ukrainian citizens voted
in a national referendum in support of independence, with majorities in
every region;
Whereas, on November 21, 2013, the Euromaidan protests began in favor of signing
the European Union-Ukraine Association Agreement, resulting in the
Revolution of Dignity and the removal of President Viktor Yanukovych by
the Verkhovna Rada;
Whereas, in February and March of 2014, the Russian Federation invaded the
peninsula of Crimea, illegally annexed the region, held a sham
referendum, and claimed the territory to be a part of Russia;
Whereas, beginning in April 2014, the Russian Federation invaded the Donetsk and
Luhansk regions of Eastern Ukraine instigating violence, stoking
conflict, arming separatists, and spreading disinformation on Ukrainian
soil;
Whereas, on July 17, 2014, Russian soldiers or Russian separatist fighters shot
down the passenger flight MH17 flying over the Donbas with a Buk
surface-to-air missile provided by the Russian Federation, killing all
298 innocent passengers on board;
Whereas, since February 2015, Russia has continued to fail to live up to its
agreements under the Minsk agreements and the Russian-backed war in the
Donbas has claimed approximately 14,000 lives;
Whereas the Russian military conducted a large-scale buildup in and around
Ukraine in March and April 2021 under the guise of military exercises,
leaving significant military equipment behind;
Whereas the Russian military initiated its most recent much larger military
buildup in October 2021 that culminated in approximately 190,000 forces
by the time of Russia's renewed full-scale incursion on February 24,
2022;
Whereas, on February 21, 2022, the State Duma of Russia passed a bill, approved
by President Vladimir Putin, to officially recognize the self-proclaimed
Luhansk People's Republic and Donetsk People's Republic as independent;
Whereas, on February 21, 2022, Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops into the
self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic and Donetsk People's Republic
after recognizing their independence;
Whereas the decision to recognize the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic
and Donetsk People's Republic as independent and order Russian troops
into that territory was not only in violation of international law,
Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the Minsk
agreements, but also tantamount to a declaration of war;
Whereas, on February 24, 2022, Russian forces, enabled by Belarus, launched its
unprovoked full-scale renewed invasion of a peaceful, independent
country, Ukraine;
Whereas, since 2014, the United States has provided $3,100,000,000 in security
assistance to Ukraine, including over $1,000,000,000 over the course of
the last year, $200,000,000 of which was approved on December 27, 2021,
and $350,000,000 of which was approved on February 26, 2022;
Whereas it is the right of all countries to decide their own future, foreign
policy, and security arrangements free from outside interference or
coercion;
Whereas the Russian Federation repeatedly lied about their massive buildup of
military forces around Ukraine and claimed that reports Russia would
invade Ukraine were hysteria;
Whereas, on February 24, 2022, the G7 issued a statement condemning the ``large-
scale military aggression by the Russian Federation against the
territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine'';
Whereas, on February 25, 2022, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization condemned
``in the strongest possible terms Russia's horrifying attack on
Ukraine'', called on Russia ``to turn back from the path of violence and
aggression'', and reaffirmed an ``iron-clad'' commitment to Article 5;
Whereas the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and
Canada joined with the United States, committed to coordinated economic
sanctions, including severe restrictions, against Russia's Central Bank
and full blocking sanctions against Vladimir Putin;
Whereas United States leadership is integral to nations around the world in
condemning and imposing costs on the Russian Federation for its illegal,
full-scale, renewed invasion;
Whereas Russian forces have targeted civilians and have committed war crimes and
crimes against humanity;
Whereas, in the days since the renewed full-scale invasion began, Russian
citizens have taken to the streets in cities and towns across Russia to
protest Putin's illegitimate and destructive war waged against a
peaceful and sovereign Ukraine; and
Whereas the United States, along with allies in Europe, the Indo-Pacific, and
others around the world, has been actively responding to Russia's
unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine with critical military,
humanitarian, and financial support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian
people: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) demands an immediate cease-fire and the full withdrawal
of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory;
(2) supports, unequivocally, Ukraine's sovereignty and
territorial integrity;
(3) backs the continued use of sanctions, in coordination
with United States allies and partners, to fully isolate the
Putin regime economically for its unprovoked aggression against
Ukraine;
(4) urges the United States and its allies and partners to
deliver additional and immediate defensive security assistance
to help Ukraine address the armored, airborne, and other
threats Ukraine is currently facing from Russian forces;
(5) commits to continuing to support resistance by the
Ukrainian people as long as the Russian Federation continues to
violate Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity;
(6) promises to continue to provide significant additional
aid and humanitarian relief to Ukrainian refugees fleeing
Russia's aggression, commends European partners for their
efforts to relieve suffering on the ground, and urges the
Russian Federation alongside United States allies and partners
to guarantee safe passage out of the country;
(7) reaffirms its strong support for the security of United
States allies and ironclad commitment to Article 5 of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO);
(8) emphasizes that NATO's relationship with Ukraine is a
matter only for Ukraine and the 30 NATO allies;
(9) pledges to support working with Europe and
international partners to bolster Europe's energy security and
reduce its dependence on Russian energy imports;
(10) underscores the importance of maintaining United
States energy independence for the benefit of the American
people and United States allies;
(11) reiterates that Crimea and the territories illegally
controlled by the illegitimate Russian-controlled governments
in Donetsk and Luhansk are sovereign Ukrainian territory;
(12) declares that the war in Ukraine, a democratic
country, is the frontline of democracy and freedom versus
authoritarianism represented by Putin's Russia;
(13) supports the right of the Russian people to protest,
including the current protests against Putin's unprovoked war
against Ukraine, and demands the immediate release of all those
who have been unjustly detained in Russia for expressing their
desire for peace;
(14) comprehends that strongmen, dictators, and
authoritarians are watching the world's response to Putin's war
against Ukraine and learning lessons for their own aggressive
actions domestically and abroad, thereby making a strong and
united response important to deter the expansion of territory
by the use of military force beyond this crisis;
(15) states unambiguously that it will never recognize or
support any illegitimate Russian-controlled leader or
government installed through the use of force, and that only
the people of Ukraine can choose their leadership through free
and fair democratic elections without foreign interference,
intervention, or coercion;
(16) commits to ensuring the illegitimate dictator of
Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, is held accountable for
permitting the use of Belarusian territory for, and committing
Belarusian forces to, Putin's unprovoked renewed full-scale
invasion against Ukraine; and
(17) stands steadfastly, staunchly, proudly, and fervently
behind the Ukrainian people in their fight against the
authoritarian Putin regime.
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