[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 116 (Wednesday, July 11, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E996-E997]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   CONSIDERATION OF H. RES. 256--NATO

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDWARD R. ROYCE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 11, 2018

  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, as leaders gather at the North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization Summit this week, it is important that we 
send a strong message of support and commitment for trans-Atlantic 
security.
  For more than six decades, the NATO alliance has promoted peace, 
freedom, and prosperity in Europe and the United States. Its continued 
strength is vital to America's national interests.
  Mr. Speaker, I've just returned from an important trip to the Nordic 
and Baltic regions, where I met with partners who are facing increasing 
pressure from Russia. Russia's naval vessels in the Baltic Sea are 
ratcheting up their aggression. Russian jets frequently violate Baltic 
airspace. Recently, Russia conducted its largest land based military 
exercises to date along the border with our Baltic allies, the 
``ZAPAD'' exercises.
  General Pavel, Head of NATO's Military Committee, stated that the 
ZAPAD exercises appeared to be a ``serious preparation for big war,'' 
and raised concerns that Russia's lack of communication with NATO 
forces nearby greatly increased the possibility that human or 
technological error could cause skirmishes and lead to a full-scale 
conflict.
  After announcing its intention to increase collaboration and military 
exercises with U.S. Marines, Norway was directly threatened by Russian 
leaders that it would suffer ``consequences'' for that decision.
  And our allies in the region that are not formal members of NATO, 
Finland and Sweden, are also feeling the pressure.
  In fact, last year Sweden discovered that Russia had covertly 
stationed a submarine just off the coast of Stockholm.
  Russia has combined its traditional military with asymmetric hostile 
actions, including by leveraging energy supplies for political 
influence as well as increasing the frequency and scope of propaganda 
among minority populations to destabilize and weaken Eastern and 
Central European countries.
  House Resolution 256, authored by Congressman Steve Cohen of 
Tennessee, sends a strong message of support to our allies in the 
region that are confronted by this increasing pressure from Russia.
  Specifically, it condemns any threat to the sovereignty and 
territorial integrity of NATO allies and pledges that the U.S. will 
continue to maintain strong leadership and its commitments to the 
alliance.
  It condemns Russia's ongoing illegal occupation of Crimea and 
supports maintaining related U.S. sanctions on Russia until Ukraine's 
sovereignty over that region is restored.

[[Page E997]]

  House Resolution 256 also calls for keeping related strong sanctions 
on Russia for its illegal and aggressive actions in the Donbas region 
of eastern Ukraine, and for the full implementation of the Minsk 
agreements which, among other things, calls for the full removal of 
Russian military equipment, as well as illegal armed groups, fighters 
and mercenaries from Ukrainian territory . . .
  This resolution also supports the U.S. European Deterrence Initiative 
program of military support to our Eastern European and Baltic allies, 
and calls on our European allies to make the promised investments in 
their individual, regional and collective defenses in accordance to the 
NATO guidelines for membership.
  Finally, this measure acknowledges the valuable contributions by 
Central and Eastern European allies to NATO's collective security and 
peace operations around the globe, such as ongoing operations in Iraq, 
Afghanistan, and Kosovo.
  This is an important message to send to our allies at a critical 
moment in history. I encourage my colleagues to join me in support.

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