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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 348 Engrossed in House (EH)]

<DOC>
H. Res. 348

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                      October 20, 2015.
Whereas after President Yanukovych had fled Kyiv, Russian President Vladimir 
        Putin ordered the forcible and illegal occupation of Crimea in March 
        2014;
Whereas Russian-led separatists have forcibly seized large areas of Ukraine and 
        continue their attacks on Ukraine's forces;
Whereas the Russian Federation has continued to engage in relentless political, 
        economic, and military aggression to subvert the independence and 
        violate the territorial integrity of Ukraine;
Whereas the United States has supported the democratically elected Government of 
        Ukraine, which represents the will of the people of Ukraine, and 
        Congress has passed multiple pieces of legislation to provide support to 
        Ukraine;
Whereas Congress passed the Sovereignty, Integrity, Democracy, and Economic 
        Stability of Ukraine Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-95), which authorized 
        loan guarantees for the Government of Ukraine;
Whereas Congress passed the Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-
        272), which authorized the Administration to provide Ukraine's 
        Government with support to facilitate necessary reforms, and stated that 
        it is United States policy to assist the Government of Ukraine in 
        restoring its sovereignty and territorial integrity;
Whereas in September 2014, a cease-fire agreement was brokered between Ukraine, 
        Russia, and Russian-led separatists, but the agreement was never fully 
        implemented;
Whereas in February 2015, an additional cease-fire, known as the Minsk 
        Implementation Agreement or Minsk 2, was agreed upon;
Whereas the United States has assisted in many elections around the world, 
        including Ukraine's Presidential election in May 25, 2014, to ensure 
        that international election standards are upheld;
Whereas early parliamentary elections were held on October 26, 2014, but 29 of 
        the 450 seats in parliament were not filled due to the inability to hold 
        elections in areas controlled by separatists;
Whereas, despite the disenfranchisement of people living in separatist-
        controlled areas, international election observers declared the 
        parliamentary elections in the rest of the country to have met 
        international standards;
Whereas Ukraine and Russia are participating States of the Organization for 
        Security and Cooperation in Europe and party to its commitments, 
        including the 1990 Copenhagen Document which states that States ``will 
        respect each other's right freely to choose and develop, in accordance 
        with international human rights standards, their political, social, 
        economic and cultural systems'' and that ``free elections that will be 
        held at reasonable intervals by secret ballot or by equivalent free 
        voting procedure, under conditions which ensure in practice the free 
        expression of the opinion of the electors in the choice of their 
        representatives'';
Whereas the next local elections are scheduled to take place in Ukraine on 
        October 25, 2015;
Whereas these elections are critical to continued legislative and constitutional 
        reform in Ukraine;
Whereas the Russian-led separatists in eastern Ukraine continue to refuse to 
        implement Ukrainian law and to permit Ukrainian authorities to conduct 
        elections in the areas they control and have therefore made free and 
        fair elections in those areas impossible;
Whereas Ukraine's government has therefore been forced to postpone the local 
        elections in those areas; and
Whereas the United States is supporting efforts to promote citizen engagement in 
        the constitutional reform process, educating voters, and election 
        monitoring: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) strongly supports the right of the people of Ukraine to freely 
        elect their government and determine their future;
            (2) urges the Administration to expedite assistance to Ukraine to 
        facilitate the political, economic, and social reforms necessary for 
        free and fair elections that meet international standards; and
            (3) condemns attempts on the part of outside forces, specifically 
        the Government of Russia, its agents and supporters, to interfere in 
        Ukraine's elections, including through intimidation, violence, or 
        coercion.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.
```