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[Pages S1905-S1906]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
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SENATE RESOLUTION 109--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE ON THE MARCH
31, 2019, PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN UKRAINE
Mr. MERKLEY (for himself and Mr. Durbin) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:
S. Res. 109
Whereas the Senate agrees with Senate Resolution 78, 115th
Congress, introduced by Senators Menendez and Graham, which
expressed the sense of the Senate recognizing 3 years of
Russian military aggression in Ukraine;
Whereas the Senate concurs with Senate Resolution 27, 116th
Congress, introduced by Senators Johnson and Durbin, which
calls for a prompt multinational freedom of navigation
operation in the Black Sea and urges the cancellation of the
Nord Stream 2 pipeline;
Whereas the Senate endorses H.R. 596, 116th Congress,
introduced by Representatives Connolly and Chabot, which
affirms that it is the policy of the United States not to
recognize the de jure or de facto sovereignty of the Russian
Federation over Crimea, its airspace, or its territorial
waters;
Whereas the Senate reaffirms the importance of the Ukraine
Freedom Support Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-272; 128 Stat.
2952),
[[Page S1906]]
which authorized increased security and economic assistance
for Ukraine;
Whereas the Senate welcomes resolutions of Congress, such
as House Resolution 202, 115th Congress, sponsored by
Representative Delaney, which reaffirmed the commitment of
the United States to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization;
Whereas the Senate notes the upcoming March 31, 2019,
presidential election in Ukraine and the importance of a free
and fair election to sustaining the principles and dreams of
the 2014 Maidan Revolution;
Whereas the Senate expresses concern that the Government of
the Russian Federation will continue to interfere in the
election process and voting in the March 31, 2019,
presidential election in Ukraine; and
Whereas the Senate agrees with former United States
Ambassador to the Russian Federation Michael McFaul that
``Russian President Vladimir Putin is waging a global
ideological war against Western liberal, democratic values.
It has been underway for many years, and it extends from his
own immediate neighborhood to Western Europe and, of course,
the United States, where he intervened in the U.S.
presidential election in 2016. The front line of this
ideological war between Putinism and democracy, however,
remains Ukraine.'': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
(1) the United States Government does not prefer any
particular candidate in the March 31, 2019, presidential
election in Ukraine and seeks only a transparent and
democratic election that reflects the will of the people of
Ukraine;
(2) the United States Government will continue to support
democracy and good governance in Ukraine, including anti-
corruption initiatives, an independent media, and efforts to
strengthen the rule of law, to support the ideals of the
revolution of dignity of Ukraine;
(3) the United States should continue to work with allies
to provide additional capacity building and technical support
in order to deter Russian efforts to disrupt voting or
undermine the legitimacy of the results of the presidential
election in Ukraine; and
(4) not later than 90 days after the date on which this
resolution is agreed to, the President should provide a
briefing to Congress--
(A) assessing the scope and scale of Russian interference
in the presidential campaign in Ukraine and vote tabulation
on election day; and
(B) assessing the future course of United States-Ukrainian
relations under whichever candidate is declared the winner of
the presidential election.
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