[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 187 (Wednesday, November 28, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7181-S7182]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO ALEXANDER HUG

  Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I wish to recognize Alexander Hug, an 
exceptional international civil servant who has played a crucial role 
in ensuring that the world knows the truth about Russia's aggression 
against Ukraine. This Kremlin-directed war, now entering its 5th year, 
is responsible for more than 10,300 fatalities and over 24,000 
injuries, including as many as 9,000 civilians. It has affected 4.4 
million in eastern Ukraine and displaced some 1.8 million people.
  Mr. Hug, a Swiss national, completed his tour of duty as Principal 
Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE's Special Monitoring Mission in 
Ukraine on October 31. He had served in this position since 2014 and 
oversaw the mission as it grew from approximately 100 monitors to more 
than 700.
  This unarmed civilian mission provides clear, unbiased official 
reporting from the war zone on ceasefire violations and the human costs 
of the conflict. It does this despite continuous threats and deliberate 
attempts to undermine and sabotage its work. The mission's reporting is 
a crucial counterpoint to the barrage of Kremlin propaganda that seeks 
to obfuscate the true nature and scale of Russia's role as a direct 
participant and the aggressor in the war.
  The mission has not only kept the world informed about the true 
nature of the war in eastern Ukraine; under Hug's leadership, it has 
also helped mitigate the humanitarian catastrophe that the war has 
caused. In particular, the negotiation of localized ceasefires has 
allowed for the delivery of humanitarian aid and repairs to be made to 
critical infrastructure.

[[Page S7182]]

  Mr. Hug has also been a compelling advocate for basic steps toward 
peace, such as the withdrawal of heavy weapons and the granting of 
unfettered access to the monitoring mission across the entirety of 
Ukraine's sovereign territory.
  Mr. Hug's candor and clarity were on full display when he briefed a 
congressional audience at a Helsinki Commission briefing on November 
30, 2017. He movingly paid witness to the human costs of the conflict 
and left no doubt about the sources behind the flagrant and daily 
ceasefire violations that continue to fuel the fighting.
  Mr. Hug's sterling reputation as a courageous, tough, and principled 
diplomat is well-earned. He has personally faced significant physical 
risk in service of the mission's mandate, including direct threats 
against his convoy by Russia-led forces and being caught in the 
crossfire between combatants. In July 2014, undeterred by an uncertain 
security situation, Mr. Hug engaged personally and to great effect at 
the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in eastern Ukraine.
  The dangers faced by Mr. Hug and the monitors he led were made all 
too clear on April 23, 2017. On that tragic day, Joseph Stone, an 
American citizen, was killed when his armored vehicle hit a landmine in 
territory controlled by Russia-led forces.
  Alexander Hug's leadership in this challenging position, which kept 
him away from his family far longer than anticipated, has been 
exemplary. As chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, I thank him for 
his contribution to this crucial mission and for all those who have 
served to advance its work, including Joseph Stone. Their selfless 
dedication continues to make an inestimable contribution to the cause 
of peace and security in the world.

                          ____________________