III 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 100 

Condemning illegal Russian aggression in Ukraine on the three year 

anniversary of the annexation of Crimea. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 27, 2017 

Mr. BROWN (for himself, Mr. PORTMAN, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. MCCAIN, Mrs. 

SHAHEEN, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. COONS, Mr. GARDNER, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. 

CORNYN, Mr. PETERS, Mr. TOOMEY, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. CASEY, 

Mrs. FEINSTEIN, and Mr. JOHNSON) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning illegal Russian aggression in Ukraine on the 

three year anniversary of the annexation of Crimea. 

Whereas the illegal Russian military occupation of the Crimea region of Ukraine is an affront to international 

norms, an unprovoked aggression, and a threat to regional stability; 

Whereas Russian President Vladimir V. Putin has a history 

of regional aggression, including the Russian invasion of 

the South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions of the Georgia 

in 2008 and intervention in favor of the breakaway region of Transnistria in Moldova in 1991–1992; 

Whereas Article II of the Charter of the United Nations 

states that ‘‘all members shall refrain in their interVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:05 Mar 27, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR100.IS SR100

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national relations from the threat or use of force against 

the territorial integrity or political independence of any 

state’’; 

Whereas, in 1994, the United States, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine signed the Budapest Memorandum, in which all parties pledged to respect 

and uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity 

in exchange for Ukraine voluntarily giving up the world’s 

third-largest nuclear arsenal, which it inherited following 

the collapse of the Soviet Union; 

Whereas a failure of the United States to uphold the terms 

of the Budapest Memorandum would have significant 

consequences for the credibility of United States guarantees related to nuclear nonproliferation and undermine 

America’s commitment to the principle of the inviolability 

of national borders; 

Whereas an association agreement between Ukraine and the 

European Union was signed in 2014, a move which will 

strengthen ties with Europe and which President 

Poroshenko described as Ukraine’s ‘‘most important day’’ 

since it secured its independence in 1991; 

Whereas, on February 28, 2014, Russian forces in unmarked 

uniforms occupied strategic civil and military infrastructure in Crimea and provided support to pro-Russian militias and activists as part of a coordinated strategy to 

seize control of Crimea and create the illusion of an organic, local rebellion against oppressive Ukrainian authorities; 

Whereas, on March 18, 2014, following a fraudulent public 

referendum that was boycotted by most Crimean Tatars 

and Ukrainians and conducted under the shadow of RusVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:05 Mar 27, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR100.IS SR100

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sian military forces, President Putin signed a treaty annexing Ukraine’s Crimea region, which was immediately 

met with condemnation by the United States and the 

international community; 

Whereas, on July 17, 2014, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 

was shot down near the village of Grabove over rebel-held 

territory, killing the nearly 300 people onboard, an attack 

for which the Dutch Safety Board concluded that the 

Russian-backed separatists were responsible; 

Whereas the Government of Ukraine and Russian-backed 

rebels agreed to a now-failed cease-fire (‘‘Minsk I’’) on 

September 5, 2014, which called for the withdrawal of 

‘‘illegal armed groups as well as militants and mercenaries from the territory of Ukraine’’; 

Whereas a Memorandum was signed by parties to Minsk I on 

September 19, 2014, outlining their understanding of 

and obligations to the agreement; 

Whereas the fragile cease-fire established by the Minsk I 

agreement deteriorated following heavy fighting in the 

Donetsk region, which included operations by Russian-led 

separatists and regular Russian forces; 

Whereas the Minsk II Agreement signed on February 12, 

2015, by the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Germany, and 

France, included the withdrawal of all foreign armed 

groups, weapons, and mercenaries; 

Whereas, on February 25, 2015, General Philip Breedlove, 

NATO Supreme Allied Commander, said that the state of 

affairs in Ukraine is ‘‘getting worse every day’’ and the 

Russian Federation has no intention of retreating from 

Ukraine until its ‘‘objectives are accomplished’’; 


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Whereas Russian-backed separatists continue to shell parts of 

Ukraine and separatists have executed Ukrainian 

servicemembers, both in direct violation of the negotiated 

cease-fire; 

Whereas aggression by Russian-led separatist forces in 

Avdiivka in early February 2017 sparked the worst fighting since 2015 and resulted in significant damage to civilian infrastructure and the displacement of thousands 

of civilians; 

Whereas, despite President Poroshenko’s statement that Crimea is still Ukraine, and in the face of Resolution 68/262 

adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 

March 27, 2014, which reiterated the sovereignty and 

territorial integrity of Ukraine and stated that the referendum held on March 16, 2014, had ‘‘no validity [and] 

cannot form the basis for any alteration of the status of 

the Autonomous Republic of Crimea or of the city of Sevastopol’’, the Government of the Russian Federation 

continues to refer to Crimea as a ‘‘region of the Russian 

Federation’’, declaring that ‘‘of course the subject of our 

region is not up for discussion’’; 

Whereas the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 71/205, which condemned the ‘‘abuses, measures 

and practices of discrimination against the residents of 

the temporarily occupied Crimea, including Crimean Tatars, as well as Ukrainians and persons belonging to 

other ethnic and religious groups, by the Russian occupation authorities’’; 

Whereas, during a hearing held by the Committee on Foreign 

Relations of the Senate on March 10, 2015, former 

United States Ambassador to Ukraine John E. Herbst 

cautioned that President Putin is attempting to ‘‘overVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:05 Mar 27, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR100.IS SR100

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turn the post-Cold War order established in Europe and 

Eurasia’’; 

Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has previously cut off natural gas to Ukraine as a bargaining 

chip; 

Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has gone 

to great lengths to hide evidence of its military support, 

including deploying mobile crematoriums to dispose of 

the bodies of servicemembers and classifying the deaths 

of its servicemembers during peacetime a state secret; 

Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation is directly arming, training, supplying, and commanding separatist forces in eastern Ukraine, and Russian military 

personnel maintain a regular presence inside the territory 

of Ukraine; 

Whereas Russia vetoed United Nations Security Council Resolution 2015/562, which would have established an international tribunal to prosecute those responsible for the 

downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17; 

Whereas OSCE vehicles have been attacked in an attempt to 

intimidate Special Monitoring Mission (SSM) personnel, 

with the deputy head of mission Alexander Hug noting 

the attacks seemed to be ‘‘aimed at stopping the OSCE 

from reporting what is going on [in Donetsk]’’; 

Whereas Ukraine’s National Security Council outlined a new 

military doctrine in September 2015 that declared 

Ukraine’s intention to achieve the criteria for joining 

NATO; 

Whereas Ukrainian leaders, including President Petro 

Poroshenko, have stated the Government of Ukraine’s desire to pursue closer cooperation with NATO with the 


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goal of potentially joining NATO in the future, with 

Rada Speaker Andriy Parubiy stating in June 2016 that 

he is ‘‘convinced that for Ukraine, at the time of Russian 

aggression, NATO membership is the strategic direction 

of our development’’; 

Whereas the United Nations has reported that, since the beginning of the conflict, almost 10,000 people have been 

killed, including more than 2,000 civilians; 

Whereas the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) reports that nearly 600,000 children living in eastern Ukraine have been deeply affected 

by the conflict and that 1,000,000 children in Ukraine 

are in ‘‘urgent need’’ of humanitarian assistance, and the 

European Union reports that a total of 3,800,000 people 

are in need of humanitarian assistance; 

Whereas the United Nations Working Group on Mercenaries 

in March 2016 raised ‘‘deep concern’’ about the conflict 

in Ukraine and called on Ukraine to ‘‘ensure accountability for human rights violations committed by foreign 

armed actors’’; 

Whereas the United Nations High Commissioner for Human 

Rights reports several instances of pro-unity supporters 

and Crimean Tatar activists being abducted or ‘‘found 

dead in circumstances resembling a summary execution’’ 

alleged to be committed by ‘‘the de facto authorities of 

Crimea, or with their authorization, support or acquiescence’’; 

Whereas journalists have come under attack or arrest for 

speaking out against Russian aggression, such as Pavel 

G. Sheremet, who was killed by a car bomb in July 2016, 

and Mykola Semena, a reporter for Radio Free Europe/ 


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Radio Liberty arrested in Crimea and currently on trial 

for writing that Crimea was part of Ukraine; 

Whereas NATO pledged, during the July 2016 NATO summit in Warsaw, to provide additional training and technical support to the Ukrainian military and re-endorsed 

a Comprehensive Assistance Package that will ensure the 

Government of Ukraine receives further advisory support, 

enhanced defense capabilities, and military training; 

Whereas the United States Government has committed over 

$600,000,000 in security assistance to Ukraine since 

2014; 

Whereas Congress has authorized the provision of defensive 

lethal assistance to Ukraine in the Ukraine Freedom 

Support Act (Public Law 113–272), the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public 

Law 114–92), and the National Defense Authorization 

Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–328); 

Whereas, in 2014, President Barack Obama issued Executive 

Orders 13660, 13661, 13662, and 13685, which imposed 

sanctions blocking property of certain persons and prohibiting transactions with respect to the Crimea Region 

of Ukraine as a result of Russia’s illegal annexation and 

military aggression in Ukraine; 

Whereas NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated 

on November 21, 2016, that NATO ‘‘will never recognize 

the illegal annexation of Crimea, and [NATO] 

continue[s] supporting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine’’; 

Whereas, on February 3, 2017, United States Ambassador to 

the United Nations Nikki Haley stated, ‘‘Crimea is a 

part of Ukraine. Our Crimea-related sanctions will reVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:05 Mar 27, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR100.IS SR100

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main in place until Russia returns control over the peninsula to Ukraine.’’; 

Whereas, on February 16, 2017, Secretary of State Rex 

Tillerson stated, ‘‘As we search for new common ground 

we expect Russia to honor its commitment to the Minsk 

agreements and work to de-escalate violence in 

Ukraine.’’; 

Whereas, on March 13, 2017, the European Union extended 

sanctions against Russian individuals and entities imposed because of the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation; 

Whereas United Nations Secretary-General Anto ́nio Guterres 

on February 21, 2017, stated that the United Nations 

‘‘remains committed to supporting the peaceful resolution 

of the conflict in a manner that fully upholds the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of 

Ukraine’’; 

Whereas President Putin has made alarming claims about his 

views on Russian territoriality, stating that Russia’s border ‘‘doesn’t end anywhere’’, and has since announced 

that he ‘‘[does not] regret anything’’ about annexing Crimea; and 

Whereas Ukraine celebrated its 25th year of independence on 

August 24, 2016: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) condemns the Government of the Russian 

3 Federation’s illegal, unprovoked military occupation 

4 of the Crimea region of Ukraine and continued ag5 gression in eastern Ukraine, and reiterates that it is 

6 the policy of the United States not to recognize the 


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1 de jure or de facto sovereignty of the Russian Fed2 eration over Crimea or any other seized area in 

3 Ukraine, its airspace, or its territorial waters; 

4 (2) supports the vigorous enforcement of sanc5 tions and opposes the lifting of sanctions as long as 

6 Russia continues its military aggression in Ukraine 

7 in violation of the Minsk II Agreement; 

8 (3) calls on the Government of the Russian 

9 Federation to immediately end its support for the 

10 separatists in eastern Ukraine, allow Ukraine to re11 gain control of its internationally recognized borders, 

12 and withdraw its military presence in eastern 

13 Ukraine, including Crimea; 

14 (4) declares that the United States Government 

15 must never recognize the illegal annexation of Cri16 mea by the Russian Federation; 

17 (5) urges the President of the United States, in 

18 coordination with United States allies, to stand by 

19 Ukraine, condemn continued Russian aggression, 

20 and use all possible tools to combat Russian bellig21 erence, including increased economic sanctions, de22 fensive lethal assistance, and democracy and human23 itarian assistance, as authorized by the Ukraine 

24 Freedom Support Act, the Fiscal Year 2016 NaVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:05 Mar 27, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR100.IS SR100

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1 tional Defense Authorization Act, and the Fiscal 

2 Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act; 

3 (6) urges the President of the United States to 

4 continue United States support for the Ukrainian 

5 economy and civil society, including continued sup6 port by international financial institutions, such as 

7 the International Monetary Fund; 

8 (7) condemns efforts by the Government of the 

9 Russian Federation to intimidate and coerce nations 

10 in Eastern Europe from strengthening their ties 

11 with NATO and the European Union; 

12 (8) supports efforts by the United States Gov13 ernment and United States allies to strengthen the 

14 energy sector in Ukraine in order to reduce 

15 Ukraine’s dependence on natural gas imported from 

16 the Russian Federation; 

17 (9) acknowledges the Government of Ukraine 

18 for its commitment to reform and encourages it to 

19 continue implementation of key reforms, including 

20 judicial reform, greater parliamentary oversight, fur21 ther implementation of anti-corruption initiatives, in22 cluding prosecutions and convictions of major fig23 ures involved in corruption schemes, budget and pro24 curement transparency and accountability across 

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1 proved end-use monitoring and sustainment plans 

2 for United States security assistance items; 

3 (10) urges the President of the United States 

4 not to agree to any final settlement of the conflict 

5 in Ukraine without the consent of the Government 

6 of Ukraine; 

7 (11) pledges continued support for all demo8 cratic allies and partners of the United States facing 

9 increased Russian aggression; 

10 (12) reaffirms the commitment of the United 

11 States to the Budapest Memorandum on security as12 surances; 

13 (13) reiterates the obligation of all nations 

14 under the United Nations Charter to respect the ter15 ritorial integrity and sovereignty of other nations; 

16 (14) encourages United States allies in Europe 

17 to continue their coordinated efforts to counter Rus18 sian aggression in the region, including economic 

19 sanctions, increased defense spending, and greater 

20 action against Russian disinformation and propa21 ganda in order to make clear that Russian efforts 

22 will not go unchecked; 

23 (15) calls on the Government of the Russian 

24 Federation to provide greater access to the Organi25 zation for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s 


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1 (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in order 

2 to ensure credible international monitoring of com3 pliance with the Minsk agreement; and 

4 (16) calls on the Government of the Russian 

5 Federation to engage seriously in dialogue with the 

6 Government of Ukraine—in coordination with key 

7 international partners—in order to come to an 

8 agreement that respects Ukraine’s sovereignty, en9 sures regional stability, and puts both nations on the 

10 path towards a permanent cease-fire. 

Æ 


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