[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 547 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 547
Acknowledging the two-year anniversary of Russia's further invasion of
Ukraine and expressing support for the people of Ukraine.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 8 (legislative day, February 7), 2024
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. 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
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Acknowledging the two-year anniversary of Russia's further invasion of
Ukraine and expressing support for the people of Ukraine.
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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