Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to Ukraine, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1162) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to Ukraine, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Royce and esteemed Ranking Member Engel for their swift action in putting this important and timely resolution together in support of the people of Ukraine.

For far too long, we have witnessed Putin's increased aggression against Ukraine, directing and arming separatist forces on Ukraine soil and forcibly occupying and annexing the Ukrainian territory of Crimea.

More recently, Russian forces were firing upon, ramming, and seizing Ukrainian vessels and crews attempting to pass through the Kerch Strait, in clear violation of international norms and agreements.

The 2014 destruction of Malaysia Airlines flight 17 that killed close to 300 people also demonstrated the threat to civilians in this conflict. Until this day, Putin continues to deny any responsibility for that heinous act. Meanwhile, thousands of Ukrainians continue to be killed fighting for their basic freedoms that we as Americans hold dear, while hundreds of thousands flee looking for a safe haven.

Mr. Speaker, Putin's actions are simply unacceptable, and the United States and our allies must stand strong against Russia. That is why this resolution is so important. We must make it clear that we truly support the people of Ukraine and their aspirations for a free and democratic society.

For that, it is crucial that the United States provides the kind of assistance--politically, militarily, and economically--that will allow Ukraine to fight Russia's increasing coercion. We must also use all of the tools at our disposal, because these are not isolated issues, to ensure that Putin and his regime pay a heavy price for Russia's aggression.

Through this resolution and other measures, we can demonstrate to Putin and the world that we are paying close attention, that we will continue to support the people of Ukraine and do what is necessary to protect Ukraine and other countries threatened by his imperial ambitions, and to ensure that they can live in peace and live in security.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure to condemn Putin's despotic rule, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), who is our esteemed chairman of our Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, Ukraine remains under assault from Moscow, which is betting that the West is tiring of the struggle and that it is free now to expand its aggression. Silence on our part at this critical moment invites miscalculation and an escalation of the conflict.

We must demonstrate by our words and actions that we remain fully committed to assisting the people of Ukraine to defend their country, including by providing them with the weapons they need to defeat Russia's continuing aggression. A slap on the wrist at this point will not restrain Putin and may guarantee the expansion of hostilities that we hope to avoid.

We strongly encourage the President to use the authority that Congress has provided to impose sanctions on Russia and to take action to make clear that we remain committed to the sovereignty of the Ukrainian people and a Ukraine that is whole and free.

I want to thank my colleague from New York (Mr. Engel) for authoring this very important measure and, most importantly, for his consistent leadership on Ukraine. At the end of my service in this body, I thank him for the many years of friendship and cooperation as we worked together to promote the interests and the values of the American people around the world.

It has been a real joy, and I thank Mr. Engel for sharing that ride with me.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure.

Let me start by thanking Chairman Royce for bringing this measure forward. He and I introduced this resolution a few weeks ago after the latest flare-up of Russian aggression in Ukraine.

I also want to thank the gentlewoman from Florida, who has always, through the years, time and time again, been standing up with us for what is right and really showing a great moral compass.

I am glad that, as we wrap up this Congress and as Chairman Royce wraps up a distinguished career as a Member of the House, we are again working together, working across the aisle with a bipartisan commitment to American leadership and American values. That has been the hallmark of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the 6 years Mr. Royce has been chairman and I have been ranking member. I am grateful that we are going out of this Congress on the same, positive, good note.

Mr. Speaker, this measure is another opportunity for the House to go on record condemning the aggressive and destructive behavior of Russia under Vladimir Putin. Russia had shredded international norms and laws with its illegal occupation of Crimea, its violent campaign in eastern Ukraine, the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight 17, and Russia's ceaseless shirking of its obligations under the Minsk II peace agreement, all at a cost of thousands of lives.

Most recently, Russia has blockaded the Kerch Strait and militarized the Sea of Azov. A few weeks ago, Russian forces fired on Ukrainian vessels attempting to pass through the strait, ultimately seizing the vessels and their crews as well.

What is remarkable about this latest action, Mr. Speaker, is just how brazen it is. Typically, Putin has always made sure that there is some veil of deniability over his dirty work so that he can say up is down and cast blame somewhere else.

But this time, Russian forces are operating out in the open. It is almost as though Putin thinks he can turn the international order on its head and there won't be any consequences. I cannot imagine where he got that idea.

My measure that we are now considering says that Russia's latest aggression cannot stand. It calls upon the

Kremlin to immediately return the captured vessels and crews and to end its violation of Ukrainian sovereignty. It reaffirms our support for Ukrainian independence, democracy, and prosperity, and it calls on the Trump administration to hold Russia accountable, to make sure there will be consequences for this sort of behavior.

We hope the administration hears us and acts accordingly, and we hope the people of Ukraine and the thugs running Russia hear us and know that Congress won't stay silent in the face of Moscow's outrageous behavior.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin), who has been a Member of this House for many years and has done wonderful work.

(Mr. LEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I am worried that Vladimir Putin is becoming emboldened because he has faced no real consequences for his ongoing violations of international law. I am glad we are considering this resolution today, saying that he should face consequences.

I wish we had more time in this Congress to work on legislation that could make those consequences real. I am committed to staying focused on this issue when we come back in January.

For now, I am glad we are sending this message, and I am glad to stand shoulder to shoulder as I have so many times over the past 6 years with my friend, Ed Royce, as we pass this measure.

Mr. Speaker, again, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida, Ileana Ros- Lehtinen. I ask all Members to support this, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I will start first by applauding the leadership of this committee: Mr. Royce, who has worked so hard, and the gentlewoman from Florida.

We went to Bosnia together some years ago, and they have worked so closely with Mr. Engel. I think it really demonstrates what can be done when people work together.

The Congressional Ukraine Caucus cochairs--Representatives Marcy Kaptur, Andy Harris, Brian Fitzpatrick, and I--issued this statement rebuking the Russian Federation's aggressive attack on Ukraine near the Kerch Strait in the Sea of Azov: ``As cochairs of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, we strongly condemn Russia's dangerous naval assault on Ukrainian ships. This episode, as well as Russia's blockade of Ukrainian ports, is a deeply disturbing sign of continued Russian aggression in its efforts to tighten its bloody grip and illegitimate occupation of the Crimean peninsula.

``We join the international committee and our NATO allies in resolute affirmation of the fact that Crimea and its surrounding waters belong to Ukraine. We call on Russian authorities, in accordance with international law, to cease any and all interference with access to Ukrainian ports and the Azov Sea. Russia must end this bloody and unjust occupation of Ukrainian sovereign territory.''

I was in Ukraine at the time of the Russian attack. I was at meetings where the President of Ukraine spoke out clearly against the Russian action on behalf of the people of Ukraine. He also spoke out on what was the main aim of Russia's military actions: to undermine Ukraine's efforts to build democracy.

Today, there is a dangerous tilt to authoritarianism in many places around the world. This makes Ukraine's struggle to resist aggression, safeguard its independence, and develop democracy all the more important.

Ukraine has witnessed firsthand that the challenges of democracy are not easily overcome. That makes it all the more important to overcome the threats to democracy, such as injustice and corruption.

The United States must support Ukraine in its efforts. We must deepen our determination to help the fight for freedom and democracy, never making heroes out of dictators. That is what this resolution is all about. May it pass unanimously.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Engel and thank my pal from Florida for their work.

Mr. Speaker, last month's Russian attack on Ukrainian vessels attempting to pass through the Kerch Strait is a dramatic reminder of Vladimir Putin's continued aggression. This was not an isolated incident. Russia has opened a new front in the Sea of Azov, where it is attempting to choke off Ukrainian imports and exports and greatly undermine Ukraine's economy.

This is a dangerous escalation. In the past, Moscow has attempted to disguise its armed intervention in Ukraine by claiming that its troops and weapons in the eastern regions belong to the separatist entities there.

Now let me share with you, Mr. Speaker, the reality that, in the east, there is Russian armor. Eliot Engel and I traveled to Dnipropetrovsk in the east, in the Russian-speaking east of Ukraine, with a delegation of four Republicans and four Democrats. We traveled in order to talk to those who were trying to deal with the fact that Russian military was rolling over provinces in Ukraine. But now Russia is openly using its own military against Ukraine in the territory of Crimea that it has illegally occupied and annexed. They are using the fleet.

The United States and its allies and partners must hold Russia accountable. Failure to do so may be interpreted by Moscow as a green light to go even further, a miscalculation that could result in a dangerous military escalation.

This resolution sends two messages. The first is to the Ukrainian people, to demonstrate that we remain committed in assisting them in their fight for freedom. The second, of course, is to Moscow, to make clear that the U.S. will oppose Russian aggression whenever it occurs.

I urge the President to ensure, by his words and actions, that Moscow understands the potential consequences of its actions and the commitment of the United States to the freedom, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H. Res. 1162 and voice my outrage at continued Russian violations of Ukrainian sovereignty.

The list of Russian provocations is lengthy.

Russia has fueled the war in the Donbas, first by providing material and mercenary support to armed separatists and later by sending in troops to fight directly. Russia also illegally invaded and occupied the Crimean Peninsula. Additionally, Russian-backed separatists using Russian-supplied weaponry shot down a passenger airliner, killing 298 innocent civilians. To this day, Russia refuses to accept responsibility despite overwhelming evidence. Most recently, Russian ships seized and boarded Ukrainian vessels sailing between two Ukrainian ports in the Kerch Strait, detaining Ukrainian sailors. This violation of international law cannot go unmet.

What happens to Ukraine matters to the United States because violations of international borders and maritime law harm the United States. The United States benefits greatly from the rules-based order it set up with a coalition of countries after World War II. Any violation of these rules and norms must be responded to appropriately. Now that H. Res. 1162 has passed on voice vote, I call on my colleagues in Congress and the administration to explore further ways to hold Russia accountable for its blatant violations of Ukrainian sovereignty. Finally, as the Ukrainian government works to strengthen transparency and the rule of law, I urge my colleagues in Congress to be willing partners to secure the benefits of democracy and stability for the Ukrainian people.