[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 197 (Thursday, December 13, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1668-E1669]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     STANDING WITH THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE AGAINST RUSSIAN AGGRESSION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. RICK LARSEN

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 13, 2018

  Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H. Res. 1162 
and voice my outrage at continued Russian violations of Ukrainian 
sovereignty.
  The list of Russian provocations is lengthy.
  Russia has fueled the war in the Donbas, first by providing material 
and mercenary support to armed separatists and later by sending in 
troops to fight directly. Russia also illegally invaded and occupied 
the Crimean Peninsula. Additionally, Russian-backed separatists using 
Russian-supplied weaponry shot down a passenger airliner, killing 298 
innocent civilians. To this day, Russia refuses to accept 
responsibility despite overwhelming evidence. Most recently, Russian 
ships seized and boarded Ukrainian vessels sailing between two 
Ukrainian ports in the Kerch Strait, detaining Ukrainian sailors. This 
violation of international law cannot go unmet.
  What happens to Ukraine matters to the United States because 
violations of international borders and maritime law harm the United 
States. The United States benefits greatly from the rules-based order 
it set up with a coalition of countries after World War II. Any 
violation of these rules and norms must be responded to appropriately. 
Now that H. Res. 1162 has passed on voice vote, I call on my colleagues 
in Congress and the administration to explore further ways to hold 
Russia accountable for its blatant violations of Ukrainian sovereignty. 
Finally, as the Ukrainian government works to strengthen transparency 
and the rule of law, I urge my colleagues in Congress to be willing 
partners to secure the benefits of democracy and stability for the 
Ukrainian people.

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