[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 56 (Tuesday, March 28, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E271-E272]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      UKRAINE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. J. FRENCH HILL

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 28, 2023

  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, one year into Russia's illegal invasion of 
Ukraine, the Ukrainians valiant defense has resulted in tens of 
thousands of casualties for the Russians.
  What the Russians believed would be a victory in a matter of days or 
weeks has turned into now over just a year, bloody slog.
  The Russian Bear has turned out to be a Paper Tiger on the fields of 
Ukraine.
  The United States must remain committed as a partner with Ukraine to 
achieve victory.
  Victory, Mr. Speaker, or Putin and his allied nations will attack the 
Baltic states or take Moldova or try to control the Black Sea.
  Turkey, devastated by Erdogan's economics and the recent earthquake 
will now face a stark choice of remaining in NATO or becoming a Putin 
puppet, were Putin successful in Ukraine.
  Victory--or China will green light a fully nuclear madman in North 
Korea and attempt a blockade of Taiwan.
  In order to achieve that victory, President Biden must get the rest 
of the world even more engaged.
  In December, members of this body were briefed by the departments of 
State and Treasury, and I recently wrote Secretary Blinken and 
Secretary Yellen in follow up regarding the funding strategy for 
supporting Ukraine humanitarily, in defense and military means, and in 
their monthly costs.
  I raised two principal points.
  First, in my view, Congress does not have the full financial overview 
of contributions being made by our allies and partners on behalf of 
Ukraine in a straightforward and simple manner available to all 
members.
  They don't paint a complete picture.
  As a new member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I look 
forward to hearing from State and USAID and the Defense Department in 
the near future on what they have been doing to track our funding in 
Ukraine and explain it in thorough detail to the Congress.
  Second, I raised the successful 1990-1991 partnership between 
Secretary of State James Baker and Secretary of Treasury Nicholas Brady 
in developing an active solicitation of major countries from around the 
world to fund

[[Page E272]]

the U.S. enforcement of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 
authorizing use of force to liberate Kuwait from Iraq's illegal 
invasion of their sovereign territory.
  The result was that the United States received contributions from 
around the world of some $53 billion against an estimated total cost to 
eject Saddam Hussein from Kuwait of $60 billion.
  While some of those contributions were in the form of in-kind 
material support, more than 90 percent was paid in cash.
  The United States must more strongly engage our allies to share a 
greater financial burden for that military, humanitarian, and financial 
budget support for the government of Ukraine.
  On February 20th, Japan pledged $5.5 billion in additional aid to 
Ukraine.
  This is on top of the $1.3 billion in financial and humanitarian 
assistance it had already pledged.
  This is a recent example of precisely what I believe the U.S. 
government should be achieving in a more aggressive and effective 
manner.
  The worldwide response in support of Ukraine has been remarkable, but 
I believe that significantly more can be done to help Ukraine if 
additional countries provide more material and financial support--in 
Europe and beyond.
  The U.S. military has a unique and important role in equipping, 
training, and providing related military materials.
  A mission that suits us more than any other country.
  However, as demonstrated in the example of Kuwait, obtaining broad 
financial support from more sources is essential, in my view, to 
maintaining popular political support in Europe and in the United 
States for victory in Ukraine.
  This also demonstrates how all peoples from around the globe benefit 
from prompt success in the preservation of Ukraine's sovereignty.
  Costs of goods, access to food, fuel, and financing are all impeded 
by the Russian Federation's illegal action. That makes the case that 
all nations are hurt by Russia's aggressions. All nations can support 
Ukraine.
  President Biden must craft an active and effective campaign to bring 
forward the financial and material resources from around the world to 
support Ukraine in victory.