[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 17, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2548-S2549]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 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

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

                              S. Res. 638

       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;

[[Page S2549]]

       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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