IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1454 

Expressing the strong support of the House of Representatives for the North 

Atlantic Treaty Organization to enter into a Membership Action Plan 

with Ukraine. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 17, 2008 

Mr. GERLACH (for himself, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr. MCCOTTER, Mr. 

PLATTS, Mr. TIBERI, Mrs. BIGGERT, Mr. SHUSTER, and Mr. HINCHEY) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the strong support of the House of Representatives for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to enter 

into a Membership Action Plan with Ukraine. 

Whereas the sustained commitment of the North Atlantic 

Treaty Organization (NATO) to mutual defense has 

made possible the democratic transformation of Central 

and Eastern Europe and Eurasia; 

Whereas NATO members can and should play a critical role 

in addressing the security challenges of the post-Cold 

War era in creating the stable environment needed for 

emerging democracies in Europe and Eurasia; 


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•HRES 1454 IH 

Whereas lasting stability and security in Europe and Eurasia 

require the military, economic, and political integration of 

emerging democracies into existing European structures; 

Whereas, in an era of threats from terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, NATO is increasingly contributing to security in the face of global 

security challenges for the protection and interests of its 

member states; 

Whereas the Government of Ukraine has expressed a desire 

to join the Euro-Atlantic community, and Ukraine is 

working closely with NATO and its members to meet criteria for eventual NATO membership; 

Whereas, at the NATO–Ukraine Commission Foreign Ministerial meeting in Vilnius in April 2005, NATO and 

Ukraine launched an Intensified Dialogue on membership 

between the Alliance and Ukraine; 

Whereas the Riga Summit Declaration, issued by the heads 

of state and government participating in the meeting of 

the North Atlantic Council in November 2006, reaffirms 

that NATO’s door remains open to new members and 

that NATO will continue to review the process for new 

membership, stating ‘‘We reaffirm that the Alliance will 

continue with . . . Ukraine its Intensified Dialogues 

which cover the full range of political, military, financial, 

and security issues relating to [Ukraine’s] aspirations to 

membership, without prejudice to any eventual Alliance 

decision. We reaffirm the importance of the NATO– 

Ukraine Distinctive Partnership, which has its 10th anniversary next year and welcome the progress that has been 

made in the framework of our Intensified Dialogue. We 

appreciate Ukraine’s substantial contributions to our 

common security, including through participation in 


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•HRES 1454 IH 

NATO-led operations and efforts to promote regional cooperation. We encourage Ukraine to continue to contribute to regional security. We are determined to continue to assist, through practical cooperation, in the implementation of far-reaching reform efforts, notably in 

the fields of national security, defense, reform of the defense-industrial sector and fighting corruption . . . We reaffirm that it is of great importance that all parties in 

the region should engage constructively to promote regional peace and stability.’’; 

Whereas, in January 2008, Ukraine forwarded to NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer a letter, signed by 

President Victor Yushchenko, Prime Minister Yulia 

Tymoshenko, and Verkhovna Rada Speaker Arseny 

Yatensyuk, requesting that NATO integrate Ukraine into 

the Membership Action Plan; 

Whereas participation in a Membership Action Plan does not 

guarantee future membership in the NATO Alliance; 

Whereas NATO membership requires significant national and 

international commitments and sacrifices and is not possible without the support of the populations of the NATO 

member States; 

Whereas at the Bucharest Summit in April 2008, Allied leaders agree that Ukraine will become a NATO member in 

future and that its application to join the Membership 

Action Plan, would be reviewed in December 2008; 

Whereass military forces of the Russian Federation have advanced into and attacked the territory of the Republic of 

Georgia, grossly exceeding any mandate of Russian 

peacekeepers in South Ossetia, and officials of the Government of the Russian Federation have sought to oust 


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•HRES 1454 IH 

the democratically elected Government of the Republic of 

Georgia; 

Whereas Russian aggression in Georgia threatens the territorial integrity and independence of nearby countries in 

the region such as Ukraine; and 

Whereas the NATO admission of Ukraine will dissuade further acts of military force by the Russian Federation 

thereby strengthening the economic and territorial stability of the region: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that— 

3 (1) the House of Representatives— 

4 (A) reaffirms its previous expressions of 

5 support for continued enlargement of the North 

6 Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to in7 clude qualified candidates; and 

8 (B) supports the commitment to further 

9 enlargement of NATO to include democratic 

10 governments that are able and willing to meet 

11 the responsibilities of membership; 

12 (2) the expansion of NATO contributes to 

13 NATO’s continued effectiveness and relevance; 

14 (3) Ukraine is a strong ally that has made im15 portant progress in the areas of defense, democratic, 

16 and human rights reform; 

17 (4) a stronger, deeper relationship between the 

18 Government of Ukraine and NATO will be mutually 


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•HRES 1454 IH 

1 beneficial to Ukraine and to NATO member States; 

2 and 

3 (5) the United States should take the lead in 

4 supporting the awarding of a Membership Action 

5 Plan to Ukraine as soon as possible. 

Æ 


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