III
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 519
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 17, 2022
Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Mr. Portman, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Risch, Mr. Coons, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Carper, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Warnock, Mr. Graham, Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. Burr, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Romney, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Hoeven, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mr. Brown, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mrs. Feinstein, Mrs. Blackburn, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Cassidy, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Moran, Mr. King, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Peters, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Sullivan, Ms. Collins, and Mr. Heinrich) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to
RESOLUTION
Supporting an independent and democratic Ukraine against any further Russian military invasion, and for other purposes.
Whereas, on January 21, 1990, more than 300,000 Ukrainians called for unity and independence from the Soviet Union by forming a human chain between the cities of Kyiv and Ivano-Frankivsk;
Whereas, on August 24, 1991, the elected Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine declared the independence of Ukraine from the Soviet Union with an overwhelming majority vote;
Whereas, on December 1, 1991, more than 90 percent of Ukrainian citizens voted in a national referendum in support of independence, with majorities in every region;
Whereas, on February 8, 1994, Ukraine was the first member state of the Commonwealth of Independent States to join the Partnership for Peace program of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and has since deepened its relationship with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, recognized as an Enhanced Opportunities Partner;
Whereas, on December 5, 1994, in an effort to solidify security commitments to Ukraine in return for its nuclear disarmament, the United States, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom signed the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, whereby each country pledged to respect the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine’s borders while refraining from the threat or use of force against Ukraine;
Whereas, on November 22, 2004, Ukrainians peacefully took to the streets in protest of a fraudulent presidential election, beginning the Orange Revolution and resulting in new elections under free and fair conditions;
Whereas, on November 21, 2013, the Euromaidan protests began in favor of signing the European Union-Ukraine Association Agreement, resulting in the Revolution of Dignity and the removal of President Viktor Yanukovych by the Verkhovna Rada;
Whereas, on February 20, 2014, the Russian Federation invaded the independent state of Ukraine, which continues to confront malign Russian activity, including the ongoing attempted annexation of Crimea, conflict in the Donbas region, and threats to freedom of navigation in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov;
Whereas, on February 12, 2015, a new package of measures to end the conflict in Ukraine, known as Minsk II
, was signed, provisions of which have still not yet been fully implemented;
Whereas at least 14,000 Ukrainians have been killed defending their homeland and millions more displaced since the conflict with Russia began;
Whereas, on September 1, 2017, the European Union-Ukraine Association Agreement came into effect;
Whereas, in March and November 2021, the Russian Federation deployed a massive troop and weapons buildup on the border with Ukraine;
Whereas, on January 28, 2022, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated, Our aim is …to convey a clear message to Russia … if they use military force against Ukraine it will have severe consequences. NATO allies are ready to impose heavy economic sanctions—political, financial sanctions.
;
Whereas, on February 12, 2022, President Joseph R. Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that the West will respond decisively and impose swift and severe costs
if Russia further invades Ukraine; and
Whereas, on December 12, 2021, at a meeting in Liverpool, delegates of the Group of Seven (G7) released a joint statement saying, Russia should be in no doubt that further military aggression against Ukraine would have massive consequences and severe cost in response…We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the right of any sovereign state to determine its own future.
: Now, therefore, be it
Sense of the Senate
The Senate—
commends the courage, resolve, and restraint shown by the Ukrainian people in their pursuit of sovereignty and democracy, and pays tribute to the many men and women who gave their lives in pursuit of a free and democratic Ukraine;
reaffirms unwavering United States support for a secure, democratic, and independent Ukraine, free to choose its own leaders and future;
condemns the illegal military invasion of Ukraine, the attempted annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation in 2014, and the violence fomented by Russian proxies in eastern Ukraine, an active conflict that continues in 2022;
reaffirms unwavering United States commitment to support the continuing efforts of the Government of Ukraine to restore its territorial integrity by providing political, diplomatic, and military support, including additional lethal and non-lethal security assistance to strengthen the defense capabilities of Ukraine;
denounces the Russian military buildup of over 150,000 troops on Ukraine’s border, including in Belarus, threatening the security of bordering NATO allies as provocative and reckless, contrary to established international norms;
condemns the Russian Federation’s continued disregard of international maritime law by partially blocking parts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, which hamper freedom of navigation exercises and significantly impact Ukraine’s economy;
encourages the President that, should any further invasion or other malign activity to undermine the sovereignty of Ukraine occur by Russia, the United States Government should use the tools at its disposal to impose significant costs on the Russian Federation to restore peace in Europe; and
encourages unity among NATO allies and the broader transatlantic community to convey solidarity in response to Russia’s unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine.
Rule of construction
Nothing in this resolution may be construed as—
a declaration of war or an authorization for the use of military force against the Russian Federation; or
authorization for the introduction of the United States Armed Forces into Ukraine.