III 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 709 

Condemning Russia’s provocative actions in the Kerch Strait against the 

Ukrainian navy. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 27, 2018 

Mr. JOHNSON (for himself, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. BARRASSO, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. 

PORTMAN, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. COTTON, and Mr. MORAN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning Russia’s provocative actions in the Kerch Strait 

against the Ukrainian navy. 

Whereas, on November 24, 2018, Ukraine commemorated the 

85th anniversary of the Ukrainian Famine of 1932– 

1933, known as the Holodomor, in which millions of 

Ukrainians perished under Soviet policies designed to 

break Ukrainian resistance to Soviet communist rule and 

forced collectivization; 

Whereas, on November 25, 2018, Russian Federation military forces fired on three Ukrainian Navy vessels attempting to transit the Kerch Strait between the Black 

Sea and the Sea of Azov; 


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•SRES 709 IS 

Whereas the three Ukrainian ships were seized by Russian 

Federation forces, and Ukrainian government officials 

stated that at least six of the 24 captured Ukrainian sailors were wounded in the incident; 

Whereas the Russian Federation’s seizure of the Ukrainian 

vessels is a blatant violation of its commitments under 

international law and a 2003 Agreement between the 

Russian Federation and Ukraine on cooperation in the 

use of the sea of Azov and the strait of Kerch; 

Whereas, on May 15, 2018, the Government of the Russian 

Federation completed construction of a road and rail 

bridge over the Kerch Strait, connecting Russia with Crimea in Ukraine, and has systematically harassed Ukrainian and international shipping transiting between the 

Black Sea and the Sea of Azov; 

Whereas, in March 2014, Russian Federation forces invaded 

and occupied Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula, in full contravention of the Russian Federation’s commitments 

under the United Nations Charter and the Helsinki Final 

Act condemning the threat or use of force as means of 

altering international borders; 

Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has increased considerably its military presence in occupied Crimea since 2014, including increasing military personnel 

to an estimated 28,000–29,000, adding six new submarines and three frigates to the Black Seas Fleet, and 

deploying S–400 long-range air defense battalions; 

Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation continues its efforts to destabilize eastern Ukraine, bears responsibility for the ongoing conflict that has cost the lives 

of over 10,000 Ukrainians, and recently orchestrated illeVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:30 Nov 27, 2018 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR709.IS SR709

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gitimate leadership elections in the Luhansk and Donetsk 

regions; 

Whereas section 1234 of the National Defense Authorization 

Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115–91; 131 Stat. 

1659) authorizes the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to provide appropriate 

security assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces; and 

Whereas, on July 25, 2018, Secretary of State Michael 

Pompeo issued the Crimea Declaration, cementing United 

States nonrecognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea 

and calling upon Russia to uphold its commitments under 

international law regarding the territorial integrity of 

other states: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) strongly condemns the provocative actions 

3 of the Government of the Russian Federation in the 

4 Kerch Strait against the Ukrainian navy; 

5 (2) calls upon the Government of Russia to im6 mediately release all Ukrainian crew members and 

7 vessels and to cease its harassment of Ukrainian and 

8 international shipping transiting the Kerch Strait; 

9 (3) stresses that the behavior of the Govern10 ment of the Russian Federation is destabilizing for 

11 the entire region and invites further escalations; 

12 (4) urges members of the international commu13 nity to unite in opposition to the actions of the Gov14 ernment of the Russian Federation in the Kerch 


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1 Strait, as they infringe upon fundamental principles 

2 of international law affecting all nations; 

3 (5) welcomes and affirms Secretary of State 

4 Pompeo’s Crimea Declaration announcing United 

5 States policy to never recognize Russia’s attempted 

6 annexation of Crimea; 

7 (6) reaffirms the unwavering support of the 

8 people and the Government of the United States for 

9 the people of Ukraine and Ukraine’s territorial in10 tegrity; and 

11 (7) calls upon the President and the entire Ad12 ministration to implement an all-of-government ap13 proach to forcefully express opposition to the Rus14 sian Federation’s November 25, 2018, attack on 

15 Ukrainian forces at every opportunity. 

Æ 


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