[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5527]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     LEGISLATION REGARDING UKRAINE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM R. KEATING

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 2, 2014

  Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today express my strong support for 
today's pending legislation on Ukraine.
  These two important pieces of legislation are similar in many 
respects to the Ukraine Support Act, which was adopted by the House 
with overwhelming bipartisan support last week. These measures will 
provide much-needed assistance to the government and people of Ukraine 
in the wake of Russia's illegal invasion and occupation of Crimea. They 
complement IMF efforts to restore the health of Ukraine's economy. They 
will support free and fair presidential elections in May, and they will 
expand funding for efforts to fight corruption and strengthen 
democratic institutions, the rule of law, and civil society in Ukraine. 
Just as importantly, the legislation condemns Russia's illegal invasion 
and occupation of Crimea and provides for additional sanctions if 
President Putin does not reverse course. With Russian forces now 
consolidating their control of Crimea and with tens of thousands of 
additional Russian troops threateningly massed on Ukraine's eastern 
border, we must remain resolute in calling on Russia to withdraw its 
troops and to engage in constructive dialogue with the Ukrainian 
government. In addition, any diplomatic effort to resolve the crisis 
must include the full participation of Ukrainian government 
representatives. Continued Russian refusal to meet these basic 
conditions must be met with additional sanctions.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend colleagues from both sides of the aisle and 
from both Houses, and in particular Chairman Royce and Ranking Member 
Engel, who have worked so quickly to pass legislation that reaffirms 
the United States' longstanding support for the independence, 
sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine. These measures send 
a clear signal to the people of Ukraine and other countries in the 
region that we will continue to support the principle that countries 
must be free to choose their own paths, free from outside pressure.

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