[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 558 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 558

 Expressing the sense of the Senate on when the economic relationship 
    between the United States and the Russian Federation should be 
   considered to return to the level of that relationship before the 
 invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation that began on February 
    24, 2022, and on the actions that should be taken at that time.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 28, 2022

 Mr. Cassidy submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                   the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate on when the economic relationship 
    between the United States and the Russian Federation should be 
   considered to return to the level of that relationship before the 
 invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation that began on February 
    24, 2022, and on the actions that should be taken at that time.

Whereas the United States has a responsibility to uphold the values of freedom, 
        democracy, and human rights across the globe;
Whereas there are several universal declarations promoting human rights, laws of 
        war, and upholding the dignity of individuals;
Whereas the preamble to the United Nations Charter states that member countries 
        ``reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights [and] in the dignity and 
        worth of the human person'';
Whereas the preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, 
        ``Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in cooperation with 
        the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and 
        observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms'';
Whereas the Russian Federation, as the former Union of Soviet Socialists 
        Republics, joined as an original member of the United Nations on October 
        24, 1945, and as such has a duty to abide by the conditions of the 
        United Nations Charter;
Whereas President Vladimir Putin, members of the Security Council of the Russian 
        Federation, and President Putin's military commanders have severely 
        undermined the international rule of law through their various actions;
Whereas President Vladimir Putin violated the sovereignty of Ukraine and used 
        military force to seize control and unlawfully occupy Crimea and eastern 
        Ukraine, indiscriminately targeting and killing thousands of innocent 
        civilians since 2014;
Whereas rebel forces supported by the Russian Federation were deemed responsible 
        for a missile attack on January 24, 2015, in Mariupol, Ukraine, that 
        indiscriminately targeted civilians, resulting in the death of at least 
        30 people and injuring many more;
Whereas intelligence assessments have concluded Vladimir Putin and his regime 
        have destroyed the rule of law in the Russian Federation and engaged in 
        countless crimes against humanity, including ordering the poisoning of 
        Alexi Navalny, the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, and the false 
        imprisonment and torture ultimately leading to the death of Sergei 
        Magnitsky;
Whereas Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, under the leadership of 
        President Vladimir Putin and the Security Council of the Russian 
        Federation, initiated an unprovoked war against Ukraine based on false 
        security claims and threats in February 2022;
Whereas President Vladimir Putin has allegedly committed war crimes in his 
        reckless quest to decimate Ukraine and the people of Ukraine, including 
        civilians, children, and women;
Whereas the people of the Russian Federation are suffering economic hardship 
        from global sanctions as a direct result of President Vladimir Putin's 
        erratic, illogical, and irrational actions;
Whereas the United States Government seeks the most productive relationship 
        possible with the people of the Russian Federation for the sake of their 
        own liberty and prosperity; and
Whereas the United States Government should use its voice, vote, and influence 
        to pursue war crimes allegations against Vladimir Putin and his military 
        commanders in international institutions of which it is a member and 
        encourage other allies and partners to do the same: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) the economic relationship between the United States and 
        the Russian Federation should be considered to return to the 
        level of that relationship before the invasion of Ukraine by 
        the Russian Federation that began on February 24, 2022, only 
        when--
                    (A) the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and 
                proxies of such forces withdraw from all territory of 
                Ukraine such forces or proxies have occupied since 
                February 24, 2022, and that withdrawal is verified by a 
                supervision mission of the United Nations in Ukraine;
                    (B) the Government of the Russian Federation has 
                ceased engaging in cyberattacks and disseminating anti-
                Ukraine, pro-Russian Federation propaganda and has 
                committed to not engaging in such attacks or 
                disseminating such propaganda in the future; and
                    (C) a free and fair election is held in the Russian 
                Federation, as determined by the Secretary of State;
            (2) as soon as possible after the date of agreement to this 
        resolution--
                    (A) the President should direct the United States 
                Representative to the United Nations to use the voice, 
                vote, and influence of the United States to immediately 
                promote the establishment of an international justice 
                mechanism for alleged war crimes and other alleged 
                crimes of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and to 
                prosecute the perpetrators of such crimes committed 
                during the period of conflict in Ukraine;
                    (B) in the event that the United Nations is unable 
                or unwilling to establish a mechanism described in 
                subparagraph (A), the President should convoke and 
                convene the world's democracies for the purposes of 
                establishing a regional or international justice 
                mechanism for crimes described in that subparagraph;
                    (C) in working with other countries to establish 
                such a regional or international justice mechanism, the 
                United States should assist all partners in that effort 
                to develop judicial procedures that enable the fair and 
                open prosecution of persons accused of perpetrating 
                such crimes;
                    (D) the United States should encourage, support, 
                and collect any and all information that can be 
                supplied to a justice mechanism described in 
                subparagraph (A) or (B) for use as evidence to support 
                the indictment and trial of any persons accused of 
                crimes described in subparagraph (A), including the 
                crime of aggression in Ukraine, as an immediate 
                priority; and
                    (E) the United States should urge all other 
                interested countries to apprehend and deliver into the 
                custody of a justice mechanism described in 
                subparagraph (A) or (B) persons indicted for crimes 
                described in subparagraph (A) and urge all interested 
                countries to provide any and all data and information 
                pertaining to such crimes to that mechanism; and
            (3) when the economic relationship between the United 
        States and the Russian Federation returns to the level of that 
        relationship before the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian 
        Federation, as described in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) the President should organize and lead a 
                presidential summit on Eastern European peace and 
                security with the head of the successor Government of 
                the Russian Federation, which should include topics 
                such as arms control and existing international fora 
                such as the Collective Security Treaty Organization, 
                the European Union, the Organization for Security and 
                Co-operation in Europe, the Minsk Group, and the North 
                Atlantic Treaty Organization;
                    (B) the Secretary of State should--
                            (i) begin a formal, consultative process 
                        with the United Nations Secretary General and 
                        all member countries of the United Nations to 
                        reimagine the United Nations Security Council; 
                        and
                            (ii) initiate talks with all Western allies 
                        regarding the reconstruction of Ukraine and 
                        humanitarian support to those affected by the 
                        war waged by President Vladimir Putin;
                    (C) the Senate should establish a special, 
                interdisciplinary commission to make recommendations 
                for the reimagination of a post-war, long-term 
                collective security strategy for Europe, which includes 
                consideration of the security concerns of Ukraine, the 
                Russian Federation, and other non-treaty partners; and
                    (D) the United States Government should call on the 
                successor Government of the Russian Federation to 
                release all political prisoners held under the 
                authority of the Russian Federation.
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