[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 638 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 638

  Commending the Government and people of the Republic of Moldova for 
 their heroic efforts to support Ukrainian refugees fleeing President 
                  Putin's illegal war against Ukraine.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 17, 2022

 Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mr. Risch, Mrs. Shaheen, and Mr. Johnson) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                          on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Commending the Government and people of the Republic of Moldova for 
 their heroic efforts to support Ukrainian refugees fleeing President 
                  Putin's illegal war against Ukraine.

Whereas, on February 18, 2022, the United States and Moldova marked 30 years of 
        diplomatic relations;
Whereas, on February 24, 2022, armed forces of the Russian Federation began an 
        illegal, unjustified, and unprovoked attack on Ukraine with missile 
        strikes against densely populated urban areas, including Kyiv, the 
        capital of Ukraine, and the regional hubs of Odesa and Mykolayiv, which 
        lie close to Moldova;
Whereas Moldova is a country of approximately 2,600,000 people that relies 
        heavily on remittances sent to Moldova by the Moldovan diaspora;
Whereas, in 2011, the Government of Moldova passed a law entitled ``Law on 
        Integration of Foreigners in the Republic of Moldova'', which provided 
        refugees and beneficiaries of humanitarian protection access to social 
        security, primary and secondary education, medical insurance, cultural 
        integration support, language classes, and employment counseling;
Whereas, prior to the most recent invasion of Ukraine by President Vladimir 
        Putin, the Government of Moldova assessed that the infrastructure in 
        Moldova could accommodate not more than 15,000 refugees;
Whereas, only one day after the commencement of the unconscionable attack on 
        Ukraine by President Putin, the people of Moldova welcomed more than 
        16,000 refugees;
Whereas, since 2014, more than 450,000 refugees fleeing the invasion of Ukraine 
        by President Putin had entered Moldova and more than 100,000 of such 
        refugees chose to remain in Moldova;
Whereas, by March 7, 2022, 89 percent of Ukrainian refugees arriving in Moldova 
        were women and children;
Whereas, by March 9, 2022, an estimated 6 out of every 100 people in Chisinau, 
        the capital of Moldova, were refugees;
Whereas, by April 26, 2022, refugees comprised more than 16 percent of the 
        population of Moldova;
Whereas the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Representative for 
        Central Europe Roland Schilling said, ``The attitude of Moldovan 
        authorities is really impressive'', and noted that ``local communities 
        came to help refugees, feeding them, supporting them'' at the border;
Whereas the Government of Moldova has created ``green corridors'' to facilitate 
        the crossing of refugees from Ukraine to Romania and other countries in 
        the European Union;
Whereas, over the past year, the Government of Moldova and civil society have 
        embarked on meaningful reform of the justice system and promoted good 
        governance and economic stability in Moldova;
Whereas, on March 3, 2022, Moldova formally submitted its application to join 
        the European Union, signaling a commitment to democratic values and the 
        rule of law;
Whereas, on March 16, 2022, the European Union announced that Moldova and 
        Ukraine had completed the emergency synchronization process with the 
        Continental European Grid, operated by the European Network of 
        Transmission System Operators;
Whereas, as of April 21, 2022, the United States has provided more than 
        $25,000,000 to support humanitarian operations in Moldova;
Whereas, on April 22, 2022, a senior military official of the Russian Federation 
        indicated that the Russian Federation intended to conquer southern 
        Ukraine and join that territory with Transnistria, a breakaway region of 
        Moldova; and
Whereas, in late April and early May 2022, reports of unexplained explosions in 
        Transnistria elevated concerns that the Russia Federation could expand 
        its war into Moldova: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) commends the people of Moldova for their hospitality 
        and extraordinary efforts hosting more than 100,000 refugees 
        fleeing Ukraine;
            (2) condemns provocation and aggressive action by the 
        Russian Federation in the Transnistria region of Moldova;
            (3) reaffirms the sovereignty of Moldova and supports the 
        choice of the Government of Moldova to further integrate with 
        structures of the European Union;
            (4) calls on the United States Government to continue to 
        provide meaningful financial and technical support to Moldova;
            (5) calls on international partners to join the United 
        States in providing swift and immediate humanitarian aid to 
        Ukrainians in Moldova;
            (6) calls on the United States Government to continue 
        working with the European Network of Transmission System 
        Operators, the Government of Moldova, and the Government of 
        Ukraine to complete full synchronization of the electricity 
        grids of Moldova and Ukraine with the Continental European 
        Grid; and
            (7) expresses support for the ongoing efforts by the 
        Government of Moldova to reform the justice sector, promote 
        good governance, and bolster the energy security of Moldova.
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