[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 23 (Thursday, February 8, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S499-S500]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 547--ACKNOWLEDGING THE TWO-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF 
  RUSSIA'S FURTHER INVASION OF UKRAINE AND EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE 
                           PEOPLE OF UKRAINE

  Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Ricketts, Mr. 
Blumenthal, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. Coons, Mr. Casey, Mrs. 
Gillibrand, Mr. Manchin, Ms. Duckworth, Ms. Sinema, Mr. Welch, Mr. 
Whitehouse, Mr. Bennet, Mr.

[[Page S500]]

Kelly, Mr. Warnock, Mr. Fetterman, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Smith, 
Mr. Wyden, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Peters, Mr. Reed, Mr. Carper, Mrs. Murray, 
Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Brown, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Tester, and Ms. 
Klobuchar) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 547

       Whereas on February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale, 
     unprovoked, and illegal invasion of Ukraine, which followed 
     Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014;
       Whereas the United States assessed that Russia's goal for 
     such invasion was to overthrow Ukraine's democratically-
     elected government and install a puppet regime;
       Whereas the international community recognizes the full 
     territorial integrity of Ukraine;
       Whereas, since February 24, 2022, the Ukrainian armed 
     forces and the people of Ukraine have marshalled a determined 
     resistance that has prevented Russia from taking control of 
     their country;
       Whereas more than 8,000,000 Ukrainian refugees have been 
     forced to flee their homes as a result of Russia's further 
     invasion of Ukraine;
       Whereas in April 2022, evidence revealed that Russian 
     forces had committed mass murder of more than 400 Ukrainian 
     civilians and prisoners of war in Bucha, Ukraine;
       Whereas in May 2022, Russian forces completed a siege of 
     the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, during which an estimated 
     25,000 Ukrainians were killed amid horrific humanitarian 
     conditions, including the destruction of health and sanitary 
     infrastructure;
       Whereas evidence from cities attacked by Russian forces, 
     including Bucha and Mariupol, confirm that Russian forces 
     have employed rape as a weapon of war;
       Whereas in addition to war crimes, Russia has committed 
     genocide in Ukraine;
       Whereas Russia had established filtration camps before the 
     February 24, 2022 further invasion, through which more than 
     1,000,000 Ukrainians, including 200,000 children, have been 
     registered, interrogated, and forcibly relocated to Russia as 
     part of a widespread Russification campaign;
       Whereas Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin have engaged in 
     anti-Semitic propaganda, including calling for the de-
     Nazification of Ukraine;
       Whereas almost all independent media outlets have been 
     banned, blocked, or listed as ``foreign agents'' in Russia 
     since the February 24, 2022 further invasion;
       Whereas, in September 2022, Russia announced the illegal 
     annexation of 4 Ukrainian regions, including the Luhansk and 
     Donetsk Oblasts in the Donbas region;
       Whereas Ukraine has launched successful counteroffensives 
     to push back Russian forces, including in the cities of 
     Kherson and Kharkiv;
       Whereas hundreds of Russian missile attacks have 
     intentionally targeted Ukrainian critical infrastructure, 
     including energy infrastructure, and civilian population 
     centers;
       Whereas Iran has supplied Russia with drones, some of which 
     have been used in strikes against critical Ukrainian 
     infrastructure;
       Whereas Russia has used energy as a weapon of war, 
     including by manipulating oil and natural gas exports to 
     Europe;
       Whereas Russia has sought to interrupt global food supply 
     chains by blocking Ukrainian grain exports at Ukrainian 
     ports;
       Whereas global food and gas prices have risen as a direct 
     result of Russia's further invasion of Ukraine;
       Whereas the Lukashenka regime in Belarus has supported 
     Russia's further invasion of Ukraine and allowed Russia to 
     use Belarusian territory as a staging ground for the invasion 
     of Ukraine;
       Whereas the Lukashenka regime has supported the illegal 
     filtration of Ukrainians in Belarus;
       Whereas in July 2023, Ukraine was reported to have more 
     landmines than any other country in the world, with Russian 
     forces using at least 13 different types of antipersonnel 
     mines that do not distinguish between military and civilian 
     targets;
       Whereas Russia unilaterally withdrew from the Initiative on 
     the Safe Transportation of Grain and Foodstuffs from 
     Ukrainian ports, done at Istanbul July 22, 2022 (commonly 
     known as the ``Black Sea Grain Initiative''), which had 
     previously enabled the export of grain from Ukraine to keep 
     global food prices stable, which has resulted in higher 
     global food prices and the blocking of Ukrainian grain 
     exports, which is a key component of Ukraine's economy;
       Whereas Russia and Belarus have arrested peaceful 
     protestors aligned with anti-war, pro-democracy movements in 
     those countries that arose in response to Russia's further 
     invasion;
       Whereas on December 29, 2023, Russia launched its largest 
     air attack against Ukraine since the start of the full-scale 
     invasion, which killed 31 people;
       Whereas the United States and its transatlantic allies have 
     stood with Ukraine by supplying military and humanitarian aid 
     and levying sanctions to respond to Russia's aggression and 
     to defund Russia's war machine;
       Whereas the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has 
     played a significant role in supporting Ukraine, including by 
     bolstering NATO defenses, granting Finland's accession to 
     NATO and formally inviting Sweden to join NATO;
       Whereas support for Ukraine has resulted in the 
     reinvestment of millions of dollars into the United States 
     defense industrial base, which has bolstered local economies 
     and provided good-paying jobs for American families; and
       Whereas Ukraine continues to resist Russia's illegal and 
     unprovoked further invasion in defense of its sovereignty and 
     democracy: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) expresses condolences to the people of Ukraine for the 
     loss of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian people since 
     Russia's further invasion began on February 24, 2022;
       (2) reaffirms the support of the United States for the full 
     territorial integrity of Ukraine;
       (3) continues to acknowledge that a sovereign Ukraine is 
     necessary for peace and stability in Europe and around the 
     world;
       (4) commends NATO and the international community, 
     including the United Nations, for their continued efforts to 
     support human rights, peace, and democracy in Ukraine; and
       (5) encourages the United States and the transatlantic 
     community to continue to stand up to Russia's illegal and 
     unprovoked war in Ukraine and counter Russian aggression 
     worldwide.

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