[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 157 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5229-S5230]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 802--CONDEMNING ANY ATTEMPTS BY RUSSIA TO CLAIM 
                SOVEREIGNTY OVER ANY PORTION OF UKRAINE

  Mr. GRAHAM (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 802

       Whereas the Russian Federation violated the sovereignty of 
     Ukraine beginning with the illegal annexation of Crimea and 
     its invasion into eastern Ukraine;
       Whereas beginning in February 2022, the Russian Federation 
     sought to further violate Ukraine's sovereignty by launching 
     unprovoked military action against Ukraine;
       Whereas on September 22, 2022, the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization condemned the then upcoming referenda stating 
     that the ``[s]ham referenda in the Donetsk, Luhansk, 
     Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions of Ukraine have no 
     legitimacy and will be a blatant violation of the UN Charter. 
     NATO Allies will not recognize their illegal and illegitimate 
     annexation. These lands are Ukraine. We call on all states to 
     reject Russia's blatant attempts at territorial conquest'';
       Whereas on September 23, 2022, President Joe Biden stated, 
     ``The United States will never recognize Ukrainian territory 
     as anything other than part of Ukraine.'';
       Whereas beginning on September 23, 2022, Russia conducted 
     sham referenda in 4 Ukrainian regions (Donetsk, Luhansk, 
     Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia) in an attempt to validate Moscow's 
     illegal annexation of the territory;
       Whereas reports indicate that--
       (1) Ukrainians have been forced to vote in the sham 
     referenda ``under a gun barrel''; and
       (2) Russian officials have visited schools, hospitals, and 
     other workplaces to force Ukrainians to vote in favor of 
     annexation; and
       Whereas the Kremlin has stated that once the sham referenda 
     are concluded, the process of absorbing the annexed areas 
     into Russia will be completed ``promptly'': Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--

[[Page S5230]]

       (1) refuses to recognize any claim of sovereignty by the 
     Russian Federation over any portion of Ukraine;
       (2) views the recent sham referenda beginning on September 
     23, 2022, directed by the Government of the Russian 
     Federation, as a violation of international law; and
       (3) calls upon the President of the United States to 
     restrict all economic and military aid and assistance to any 
     nation that recognizes Russian sovereignty over any portion 
     of Ukraine.

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