[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 158 (Tuesday, September 14, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6504-S6505]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 360--CELEBRATING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
          INDEPENDENCE OF UKRAINE FROM THE FORMER SOVIET UNION

  Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself, Mr. Portman, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Johnson, and 
Mr. Durbin) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 360

       Whereas, on January 21, 1990, more than 300,000 Ukrainians 
     called for unity and independence from the Soviet Union by 
     forming a human chain between the cities of Kyiv and Ivano-
     Frankivsk;
       Whereas, on August 24, 1991, the elected Verkhovna Rada of 
     Ukraine declared the independence of Ukraine from the Soviet 
     Union with an overwhelming majority of the vote;
       Whereas, on December 1, 1991, more than 90 percent of 
     Ukrainian citizens voted in a national referendum in support 
     of independence, with majorities in every region;
       Whereas, on February 8, 1994, Ukraine was the first member 
     state of the Commonwealth of Independent States to join the 
     Partnership for Peace program of the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization and has since deepened its relationship with the 
     North Atlantic Treaty Organization, recognized as an Enhanced 
     Opportunities Partner;
       Whereas, on November 22, 2004, Ukrainians peacefully took 
     to the streets in protest of a fraudulent presidential 
     election, beginning the Orange Revolution and resulting in 
     new elections under free and fair conditions,
       Whereas, on November 21, 2013, the Euromaidan protests 
     began, resulting in the Revolution of Dignity and the removal 
     of President Viktor Yanukovych by the Verkhovna Rada;
       Whereas, on February 20, 2014, the Russian Federation 
     invaded the independent state of Ukraine, and Ukraine 
     continues to confront malign Russian activity, including the 
     ongoing occupation of the Crimea region, conflict in the 
     Donbas region, and threats to freedom of navigation in the 
     Black Sea and the Sea of Azov;
       Whereas Ukraine has made significant progress on defense 
     reforms and has deployed in numerous conflicts with the North 
     Atlantic Treaty Organization in support of allied and 
     coalition operations;
       Whereas the United States-Ukraine Trade and Investment 
     Council continues its mission of reducing trade barriers in 
     the bilateral relationship, and Ukraine continues to seek 
     economic alignment with Europe and the West; and
       Whereas Ukraine has continued to progress on a path toward 
     democracy and has prioritized closer engagement with the 
     North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the courage and resolve shown by the 
     Ukrainian people in their pursuit of sovereignty and 
     democracy;
       (2) remembers the Euromaidan demonstrations of November 
     2013 as a major step forward in the journey of Ukraine toward 
     democracy;
       (3) condemns the illegal military invasion and occupation 
     of Crimea by the Russian Federation in 2014 and the violence 
     fomented by Russian proxies in eastern Ukraine, two active 
     conflicts that continue in 2021;
       (4) affirms the Crimea Declaration issued and announced by 
     the Department of State on July 24, 2018, which rejects the 
     illegal annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and 
     pledges to maintain that position until the territorial 
     integrity of Ukraine is restored;
       (5) applauds the progress that the Government of Ukraine 
     has made in aligning with Euro-Atlantic norms and standards 
     and improving military combat readiness and interoperability 
     with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization;
       (6) encourages the Government of Ukraine to continue 
     implementing crucial reforms to fight corruption, build 
     strong and free markets, and strengthen democracy and the 
     rule of law;
       (7) affirms the unwavering commitment of the United States 
     Government to support the continuing efforts of the 
     Government of Ukraine to restore Ukraine's territorial 
     integrity by providing consistent political and diplomatic 
     support and additional lethal and non-lethal security 
     assistance to strengthen the defense capabilities of Ukraine 
     on land and sea and in the air;
       (8) condemns the ongoing malign activities carried out by 
     the Russian Federation against Ukraine and continues to call 
     upon the Government of the Russian Federation to immediately 
     cease all activity that seeks to undermine Ukraine and 
     destabilize Europe;
       (9) calls upon the United States Government and its 
     international allies and partners to increase sanctions 
     pressure against the Russian Federation until the Russian 
     Federation upholds its international obligations to respect 
     the territorial integrity of Ukraine, including obligations 
     under the Memorandum on security assurances in connection 
     with Ukraine's accession to the Treaty on the Non-
     Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, signed at Budapest December 
     5, 1994, and the Minsk agreements agreed to in 2014 and 2015;
       (10) congratulates the people of Ukraine on the 
     announcement on January 6, 2019, of autocephaly for an 
     independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which marked an 
     important milestone in Ukraine's pursuit of its own future 
     free from Kremlin influence;
       (11) celebrates 3 decades of Ukrainian independence and the 
     strong partnership between the peoples and Governments of the 
     United States and Ukraine; and
       (12) welcomes the September 1, 2021, visit to Washington, 
     D.C., by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Oleksandrovych 
     Zelensky at the invitation of President Joseph R. Biden to

[[Page S6505]]

     further deepen the bonds between the United States and 
     Ukraine.

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